WATCH: Mike Waltz tells Cuban delegation 'this is not Havana' during heated UN speech

Cuba’s overseas curate accused the United States of committing an "act of war" by restricting substance shipments to the land Tuesday, prompting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz to present a forceful effect blaming Cuba’s communist authorities for years of blackouts, repression and economical collapse.

The confrontation unfolded astatine the U.N. General Assembly 1 time aft Cuba’s nationalist electrical grid collapsed, leaving astir 10 cardinal radical without power. It was the 3rd nationwide grid nonaccomplishment this twelvemonth and the eighth since October 2025, Reuters reported.

Cuban officials had restored energy to parts of cardinal Cuba and astir one-third of Havana by Tuesday morning, though ample areas remained offline oregon faced unstable service, according to Reuters.

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz holds up a photograph of a jailed Cuban dissidents during a General Assembly statement connected the U.S. embargo against Cuba astatine U.N. office successful New York connected July 7, 2026. (UNTV)

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told delegates that the Trump medication was carrying retired a "multidimensional, non-conventional war" against Cuba that had grown "more cruel and ruthless successful the past 7 months."

Rodríguez described U.S. efforts to restrict substance deliveries arsenic the imposition of "an vigor collapse, equivalent to a naval blockade, which is an enactment of war," according to a UNTV transcript.

Waltz rejected the assertion that the United States had established a naval blockade astir Cuba.

"There is nary ringing of Navy warships, U.S. Navy warships sitting astir this land blocking commercialized oregon humanitarian assistance going into Cuba," Waltz said. "It’s fake. It’s false. It’s a lie. Period."

Waltz argued that the existent embargo was the 1 Cuba’s authorities imposed connected its ain citizens.

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People locomotion connected the thoroughfare during a nationalist electrical grid collapse, successful Havana, Cuba, March 14, 2025. (Norlys Perez/Reuters)

"There’s a batch of speech contiguous of an embargo. And so determination is one," helium said. "It’s the embargo the Cuban authorities mercilessly imposes connected its ain radical decennary aft decennary aft decade."

He called connected Havana to "change your ways" and "turn the lights backmost connected for your people," portion accusing Cuba’s leaders of ensuring that authorities compounds and propaganda operations had powerfulness adjacent arsenic families disquieted astir spoiled food, hospitals losing energy and phones moving retired of charge.

Waltz noted that Tuesday’s gathering came days earlier the 5th day of the July 11, 2021, demonstrations, erstwhile thousands of Cubans took to the streets amid shortages of food, medicine and energy and demanded greater freedom.

As Waltz spoke, a subordinate of the Cuban delegation pounded connected the table, prompting the ambassador to respond.

"This is not Havana. This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations," Waltz said. "And we volition speak, we volition beryllium heard, and we volition not beryllium silenced similar your ain people. So, lb away."

Waltz displayed photographs and work the names of respective jailed Cuban artists, musicians and activists, including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez and Duannis Dabel León Taboada.

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Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla speaks during a quality league successful Havana, Cuba. (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)

"They’re not armed. They’re not violent," Waltz said. "They transportation flowers, and constitute poems and constitute music. And for that, the authorities beats them, detains them and tries to interruption them."

Waltz besides said GAESA, Cuba’s military-run conglomerate, controls astir fractional of the country’s system and holds $18 cardinal successful assets.

Reuters has reported that estimates of GAESA’s economical scope scope from astir 40% to 70%, portion Cuban officials quality the U.S. government’s $18 cardinal figure.

Waltz said that contempt Cuba’s blockade claims, humanitarian assistance had precocious arrived from countries including China, Russia, Mexico, Canada and Spain, arsenic good arsenic from the European Union and the United Nations.

He besides said the United States had provided much than $100 cardinal successful assistance this twelvemonth and astir $500 cardinal annually successful commodities.

"The reply is simple: due to the fact that blaming the United States is the lone economical program Havana has left," Waltz said of Cuba’s determination to bring the contented earlier the General Assembly.

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Protesters stitchery extracurricular a Communist Party office successful Morón, Cuba, arsenic a occurrence burns successful the thoroughfare during overnight unrest. Video obtained by Fox News Digital appeared to amusement demonstrators attempting to acceptable occurrence to the gathering amid protests linked to wide blackouts. (Reuters)

Before the wider debate, U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform Jeffrey Bartos objected to reopening the docket point and called for a ballot connected whether the proceedings should spell forward.

Bartos said the three-hour gathering would outgo astir $84,000, wealth helium argued could alternatively supply food, exigency aesculapian supplies and star lanterns to Cuban families.

"Right now, Cuba is successful acheronian — again," Bartos said. "I impulse the Cuban regime: crook the lights backmost connected for your people."

Members of the Cuban delegation besides interrupted Bartos respective times by pounding connected the table. Bartos astatine 1 constituent paused and responded, "Keep banging away. It’s precise effective," earlier continuing his remarks.

Bartos accused Havana of seeking "another propaganda clip" alternatively than solutions and pointed to what helium said were much than 800 governmental prisoners held by the government.

Independent organizations person produced varying estimates. Human Rights Watch said successful April that much than 700 radical remained imprisoned for governmental reasons, portion Prisoners Defenders reported much than 1,200 governmental prisoners successful Cuba successful the outpouring of 2026. Cuba denies holding anyone for governmental reasons.

"That is the existent Cuban embargo," Bartos said. "It is the embargo the authorities imposes connected its ain people: connected speech, connected faith, connected enterprise, connected dissent, connected governmental rights and anticipation — and now, rather literally, connected light."

Rodríguez accused the U.S. delegation of offering "worn-out lies" and attempting to forestall the General Assembly from debating the effects of American policy.

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U.S. Representative for U.N. Ambassador Jeff Bartos addresses a gathering of the United Nations Security Council connected the concern successful Libya, astatine the U.N. office successful New York City, U.S., November 25, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Cuba’s energy situation has been driven by terrible substance shortages and an aging, poorly maintained powerfulness strategy that has struggled to conscionable demand. The Cuban authorities chiefly blames U.S. restrictions, portion Washington attributes the island’s broader economical situation to communist economical policies, corruption and repression.

Reuters contributed to this report.