President Donald Trump delivered a scorching address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, branding Cuba an "absolutely failed state" and that the island's communist government "will fall" under mounting economic and geopolitical pressure.
The sharp condemnation prompted the Cuban delegation to stage a walkout from the General Assembly hall as Trump spoke during a 37-minute speech in which he talked about wide range of threats to the U.S. from abroad.
During his speech, Trump declared that his administration is actively pursuing a "fundamental change" in Havana, revealing that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is deeply involved in diplomatic talks with the Cuban government.
“My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba where the communist regime is under great pressure, the biggest pressure they've ever been under,” Trump told world leaders. “It's an absolutely failed state. It's failing like never before, and it will fall.”
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Trump pointed to ongoing discussions led by Rubio, though he offered few specifics or details about the nature of the talks.
“Marco Rubio is handling a negotiation. He's deep into negotiations with Cuba. Let's see what happens,” Trump said, saying the U.S. refuses "to allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep."
“Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba,” Trump said.
Cuban delegation exits
As Trump leveled his attacks against Havana, the Cuban diplomatic delegation withdrew from the UN session in protest.
Following Trump's speech, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez, who led the delegation, forcefully rejected Trump's characterization of the island nation, dismissing his claims as "falsehoods" and "slanders."
“The US government is unable to accept that Cuba is, and has the right to be, a fully independent and sovereign country,” Rodríguez wrote on X.
Rodríguez denounced the broader U.S. embargo and energy restrictions placed on the island, warning of the human toll on the Cuban populace.
“The economic blockade, including the energy siege, only threatens Cuba and the rest of the nations,” Rodríguez wrote. “It is an act of genocide and collective punishment. We are a country of peace and we deserve peace.”
Cuba has been pushed to the brink by an oil blockade imposed by the United States in January on top of a decades-old embargo, coupled with the escalating sanctions.
The Trump administration's moves against Cuba, meant to put pressure on the government by depriving it of funding, have worsened already debilitating blackouts, cut workers off from public transport, crippled infrastructure and deepened shortages in medicine and food in the Caribbean island nation.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
