UN Permanent Representative of Cuba denounces sham event held by the US Mission

Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, publicly denounced an event organized by the U.S. Mission titled “Cuba Libre” on October 19 at UN headquarters. He argued that the event was a sham designed to promote a hostile narrative against Cuba and violated UN rules governing the use of its facilities.

Soberón stated that the event contravened UN administrative instruction ST/AI/2019/4, which requires that activities held on UN premises align with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter:

"It is a clandestine gathering absolutely alien to the UN agenda. Unfortunately, the UN Secretariat has not prevented this from happening, despite our repeated warnings.

Hiding themselves, the US has organized a gathering of representatives of a small, selective and discriminatory group of Member States, to spread lies about Cuba.

This politically motivated event will feature a panel of individuals on the State Department payroll that are either convicted criminals or have ties with terrorist organizations that have caused the death and suffering of Cubans."

He also criticized the event’s closed nature, limited press access, and restrictions preventing attendees from speaking, calling these measures an attempt to stage a controlled media spectacle.

Soberón noted that U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were pressuring governments to change their votes ahead of the upcoming UN General Assembly debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

He framed the event as part of a wider campaign of political and diplomatic harassment aimed at weakening support for Cuba’s annual resolution calling for an end to the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade.

Soberón reaffirmed that “Cuba will not be intimidated, blackmailed, or silenced”, emphasizing that the blockade—not Cuba—is the real threat. He urged UN member states to uphold the UN Charter and reject double standards in the use of UN resources.

In a post on Facebook, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez also denounced the event: