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The White House threw its support behind U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz on Tuesday, October 27, sharing an illustration of him pointing at Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla hours after their confrontation in the UN General Assembly during the debate on the U.S. embargo.
The cartoon carries Waltz’s warning that Rodríguez would not intimidate him in the United States as he tries to intimidate political prisoners. The accompanying post, published on the White House’s official accounts, offered a one-line message: “Not in the United States of America,” followed by a bull’s-eye emoji and a tag of the ambassador’s account.
Rendered in a watercolor style, the illustration shows Waltz behind a “United States” nameplate, pointing at a bespectacled official seated behind a “Cuba” placard. The UN emblem appears in the background, with “The White House” beneath the speech bubble.
Facebook labeled the image as AI-generated. In its first three hours on that platform, the post drew more than 8,900 reactions, 1,900 comments and 640 shares, according to figures recorded by Cubanos por el Mundo. Those totals are a snapshot of engagement at that time.
What happened between Mike Waltz and Rodríguez at the UN
The confrontation took place Tuesday, October 27, on the opening day of the General Assembly’s annual debate on Havana’s resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo.
Waltz used his speech to accuse Cuba’s leadership of corruption, pointing to a private island and collections of Rolex watches. He argued that political repression and the government’s diversion of resources were responsible for the Cuban people’s hardship.
During his remarks, the ambassador displayed photographs highlighting the Castro family’s luxury lifestyle: Fidel Castro wearing Rolex watches, Sandro Castro holding bundles of cash, Antonio Castro aboard a yacht, and exclusive properties in Varadero and Cayo Piedra. He also showed images of Miguel Díaz-Canel with luxury accessories.
Cuban delegates banged on their desks as he spoke. Rodríguez rose and walked toward the podium, accusing Waltz of lying. The U.S. ambassador turned to the assembly’s presiding officer and asked that Rodríguez move away from the lectern. “Back up,” Waltz said, before telling the Cuban minister that this was not Havana and that he would not be intimidated, The National reported. Assembly President Khalilur Rahman briefly suspended the proceedings before allowing Rodríguez to raise a point of order.
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Waltz later posted video of the exchange on X. He alleged that a Cuban diplomat had pressured UN personnel to cut his microphones and then tried to intimidate an American diplomat who noticed what was happening.
Rodríguez’s response
When he was given the floor, the Cuban minister again accused Waltz of lying and asked that the U.S. representative be called to order.
In a post on X, Rodríguez accused Washington of telling “gross lies” in the General Assembly. He also criticized what EFE described as the ambassador’s arrogance, saying Waltz seemed to forget that he was at the United Nations and not on the U.S. National Security Council, in a Green Beret unit or in a Signal group chat, according to EFE’s account.
The upcoming UN vote on the Cuba embargo
The resolution is scheduled for a vote Wednesday, October 28. Speaking to reporters after leaving the chamber, Waltz predicted a shift in the outcome and said the world was waking up to what he described as hard truths, according to EFE.
In October 2025, Cuba’s proposal received 165 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions. The United States, Israel, Argentina, Paraguay, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Hungary voted no. The General Assembly has adopted resolutions opposing the embargo every year since 1992. They are not legally binding, and only the U.S. Congress can lift the embargo.
This year’s debate comes as Washington increases pressure on Havana. Since the start of 2026, the Trump administration has restricted oil shipments to Cuba and threatened tariffs on countries that supply the island with fuel, according to The National.
Tuesday’s clash was not the first confrontation involving Cuban diplomats at the UN this month. On Monday, October 19, following “Cuba Libre: The Oppression Havana Hides,” a forum on repression in Cuba hosted by the U.S. mission, diplomats led by Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Soberón shouted accusations of terrorism at former political prisoners who had participated, including José Daniel Ferrer and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara.
Related coverage: Bruno Rodríguez interrupts Mike Waltz at the UN · Waltz highlights the Castro family’s luxury lifestyle (Spanish).
Read the original Spanish-language report by Ernesto García.
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