US, Cuban diplomats engage in fiery shouting match on UN

• US envoy Mike Waltz and Cuban FM Bruno Rodríguez clashed during debate on the US embargo resolution
• Rodríguez yelled "You are a liar!" while Waltz retorted, "This is America. Back up."
• The clash follows US tariff threats on Cuban oil suppliers that caused severe fuel and grid crises
• Altercation mirrors a recent confrontation as the US lobbies against the measure, which passed 165–7 last year

A rare and volatile shouting match broke out between American and Cuban officials on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, culminating in a face-to-face verbal clash at the podium ahead of an upcoming vote on the longstanding US economic embargo against the island nation.

The confrontation unfolded as the United States Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, took the rostrum to address member states and lobby against the annual resolution condemning Washington's decades-old sanctions regime, which is scheduled for a vote this week.

As Waltz delivered remarks detailing allegations of widespread corruption within Havana's socialist administration, the Cuban delegation voiced fierce opposition.

Delegates, including Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, repeatedly slammed on their designated desk and shouted demands for a point of order, prompting UN officials to intervene in an attempt to restore order in the chamber.

Tensions escalated further when Rodríguez walked directly down the center aisle toward the head of the General Assembly hall, shouting directly at the American envoy: “You are a liar!”

Waltz confronted the Cuban minister from the podium, retorting: “You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up.”

The extraordinary breach of diplomatic protocol reflects worsening relations between Washington and Havana as US President Donald Trump's administration intensifies its economic campaign against the island to compel political change.

In late January, Trump announced the United States would impose tariffs on any nation supplying or selling oil to Cuba.

The measures have effectively choked off fuel imports, triggering widespread electrical blackouts across the island that have disrupted essential services, including cooking facilities, municipal water distribution, and telecommunications networks.

Cuban authorities have repeatedly denounced the measures, arguing that while US officials publicly urge Havana to facilitate private investment, Washington continues to impose punitive sanctions that directly obstruct any economic opening.

Tuesday’s altercation marks the second direct confrontation between the two delegations in recent days. Last week, Waltz and Cuban UN Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán clashed outside a US-sponsored side event featuring former prisoners and Cuban dissidents organized to highlight alleged human rights abuses by the Cuban government.

The Trump administration has utilized public appearances at the world body to urge delegations to oppose Wednesday's vote, which explicitly denounces Washington's “maximum pressure policy.”

The non-binding resolution has historically garnered near-unanimous international backing over the past 34 years. In the previous session, the General Assembly approved the measure by a vote of 165 to 7, with 12 abstentions, with Argentina, Ukraine, and Hungary casting votes against the resolution for the first time.