Cuba’s FM Stands with Palestine, Condemns “Genocide” at UN

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla voiced strong solidarity with Palestine during his address to the UN General Assembly, denouncing what he described as “genocide and ethnic cleansing” carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people.

Rodríguez argued that the current global order is outdated, reflecting “an era when most developing nations did not even exist as independent states.” He stressed that while a handful of countries and individuals continue to amass vast wealth, the United Nations remains the most representative body of the international community and must be defended and strengthened.

Calling for a new international order, he urged greater inclusion of developing countries in global decision-making, alongside guarantees of equality, sovereignty, and the right to development.

Rodríguez also supported UN Secretary-General initiatives to reform the organization, saying the UN must reinforce its role as an international institution capable of addressing today’s urgent challenges. He rejected the principle of “peace through force,” describing it as a cover for U.S. imperialism that undermines the very values upon which the United Nations was founded.

Turning to Cuba, he demanded an end to the decades-long U.S. economic embargo, calling it a “war of attrition” aimed at harming the Cuban people. He detailed the hardships Cubans face, including repeated power outages, food shortages, lack of medicine, weak public transportation, deteriorating services, and high inflation that erodes household incomes.

Rodríguez further warned of the risk of war in the Caribbean, condemning the deployment of U.S. forces under the pretext of combating crime and drug trafficking, which he said constitutes a violation of international law.

He concluded by urging the UN to adopt common standards to ensure equal access to modern technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, for all nations.