OCTOBER 27, 2026
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez (pictured) walked down the aisle to the head of the General Assembly and yelled to Waltz, ‘You are a liar!’ (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
A shouting match between American and Cuban officials broke out on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, with a member of the Cuban delegation calling a Trump official a “liar.”
The confrontation unfolded as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz spoke against the annual resolution condemning the U.S.’ decades-long economic embargo against the island country, which is due to be voted on this week. Waltz had taken the podium to argue that member states should not support the measure.
As he detailed years of alleged corruption by the socialist government, members of the Cuban delegation, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, began to slam on their designated table and yell for a point of order. U.N. officials then sought to tone down the outbursts.
But Rodríguez walked down the aisle to the head of the General Assembly and yelled to Waltz, “You are a liar!”
Waltz responded, “You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up.”
The exchange was a break from the diplomatic decorum traditional to the U.N., and it came amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the U.S. as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to force changes to Cuba’s political system by increasing its already punishing economic campaign.
Courtesy: The Independent
