The UN General Assembly met today to discuss agenda item #28, Cuba’s call for the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba imposed by the United States.” Since the United States objected to the meeting even taking place, a vote was taken which resulted in 136 in favor, 9 against and 60 abstentions.
Not surprising was the universal support expressed for Cuba from the nations of the Global Majority, whether from spokesmen for regional organizations— the G77 + China, ASEAN, the Group of Friends for Defense of the UN Charter, the Caribbean Community, the Africa Group, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)—or individual national representatives who expressed support for those organizations. Many African representatives were among the latter group.
U.S. isolation in this setting was obvious. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, who can hardly be called a diplomat, put on a shameful display of thuggery and threats, screaming “this is not Havana” to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. “We will not be silenced like your own people.” Waltz yelled that Cuba’s problems are of its own making; the corrupt, thieving regime is at fault, it steals from its own people so it should stop lying that the U.S. blockade is the problem. Everything it says is “fake news.” Minister Rodriguez twice interrupted Waltz on a point of order, charging that a speech so filled with insults and grossness was totally inappropriate in a hall as distinguished and democratic as the UN General Assembly. Waltz, he said, “is a liar.” Waltz disgustingly shot back, “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”
