U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla engaged in a shouting match

Washington and Havana are facing sharper confrontation after new U.S. sanctions targeting Cuban officials and military-linked elites, amid accusations of repression and threats to U.S. national security. The dispute is also being fueled by Cuba’s economic and energy crisis, migration pressures, and renewed legal/political pressure over assets seized after the Cuban Revolution.

Nearly 130 heads of state and government gathered in New York for the 2026 UN General Assembly high-level week, amid the wars involving Iran, Ukraine and Sudan, growing concern about artificial intelligence, and severe pressure on UN finances. The week also provided a venue for bilateral negotiations and political manoeuvring surrounding the selection of António Guterres's successor.