U.S. to Press UN on Cuba’s Human Rights Abuses, Ambassador Mike Waltz Says

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United States will continue pressing the international community to hold the Cuban government accountable for alleged human rights abuses, political imprisonment, forced labor and corruption, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said at a news briefing in New York. Speaking at the Foreign Press Center, Waltz accused the Cuban government of using its annual campaign at the United Nations against the U.S. embargo to deflect attention from its domestic human rights record. He said Washington would challenge what it considers misleading claims by Havana and urge other countries to give greater attention to the suffering of the Cuban people.

The briefing featured Jamie Fly, chief executive officer of Freedom House, who outlined concerns about political repression, restrictions on civil liberties and the treatment of prisoners in Cuba. Waltz said the U.S. mission to the United Nations had arranged for diplomats to hear directly from former Cuban political prisoners and independent experts about alleged abuses, corruption and the concentration of economic power in the hands of the Cuban military and ruling elite.

“We are not going to allow those lies to be propagated here unchecked, unchallenged,” Waltz said, referring to the Cuban government’s position on the U.S. embargo and the country’s economic difficulties.

Fly said Cuba has been classified as “Not Free” throughout the 53-year history of Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report. According to Fly, Cuba received a score of just 9 out of 100 in the organization’s freedom index, including zero points for political rights. He also cited figures from Prisoners Defenders, a human rights organization that monitors political imprisonment in Cuba, saying more than 1,300 political prisoners remain in the country.

Those imprisoned include political activists, journalists, artists and ordinary citizens who have protested shortages of food, medicine and electricity or called for greater political freedom, Fly said. He highlighted the cases of musician Maykel Castillo Pérez and political activist Félix Navarro and his daughter, Saylí Navarro. Fly said Castillo Pérez had reportedly been handcuffed, forcibly restrained by several guards and subjected to a forced haircut during a recent security operation at his prison.

He also pointed to a September 17, 2026, European Parliament resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Félix Navarro and his daughter, citing concerns about their treatment and health conditions. Fly said the cases illustrate the broader restrictions on freedom of expression, association, assembly and political participation in Cuba.

Waltz criticized Cuba’s overseas medical missions, alleging that the government exploits doctors and nurses by withholding their earnings and placing pressure on their families at home. He argued that the programs, which Cuba has long presented as a form of international medical cooperation, raise serious concerns about labor rights and coercion.

The United States has urged governments, particularly in Latin America, to reconsider their participation in arrangements that Washington alleges facilitate forced labor, Waltz said. The Cuban government’s response to the allegations was not presented at the briefing.

Waltz also accused the Cuban military-linked business conglomerate GAESA of exercising extensive control over the country’s economy while ordinary Cubans face shortages of basic necessities. He questioned why fuel and electricity appeared to remain more readily available to security services and privileged groups while much of the population struggled with shortages.

The briefing came ahead of a United Nations vote on a resolution concerning the U.S. embargo against Cuba, scheduled for October 27–28, according to remarks at the event. Waltz said U.S. diplomats were engaging with other countries to encourage them to reconsider their positions on the resolution in light of Washington’s human rights concerns.

He also raised allegations about Cuban nationals recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine, arguing that money associated with such activities benefits the Cuban government rather than the individuals involved. Waltz cited information presented by Ukrainian officials concerning Cuban recruitment and urged European governments to consider the issue when deciding how to vote at the United Nations. He said human rights should receive the same serious attention as peace, security and development in the work of the international organization.

Addressing Cuba’s economic and humanitarian difficulties, Waltz said President Donald Trump had recently released $100 million in humanitarian assistance intended to help people in need. According to Waltz, the assistance was to be distributed through the Catholic Church and other organizations. He alleged that the Cuban government was attempting to control the distribution of the aid.

Waltz said Washington wanted to see greater economic openness, basic freedoms and an end to practices it considers coercive. He identified the ability of humanitarian assistance to reach vulnerable people as one measure of whether conditions were improving.

During the question-and-answer session, Waltz was asked about reports that Florida had secured an arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 shooting down of two aircraft operated by the exile organization Brothers to the Rescue. Waltz said the case represented a long-standing demand for justice and noted that federal and state-level legal proceedings were relevant to efforts to establish accountability. He said the Trump administration took alleged human rights abuses seriously and expressed confidence that accountability would eventually be pursued.

The briefing concluded with a question about accountability for atrocities against the Rohingya in Myanmar. Although the moderator initially sought to keep the discussion focused on Cuba, Waltz said the administration took the suffering of Rohingya refugees in camps seriously.

The event underscored Washington’s effort to place Cuba’s human rights record at the center of its diplomatic engagement at the United Nations ahead of the upcoming vote on the embargo resolution. The allegations raised by U.S. officials and Freedom House at the briefing were not accompanied by a response from the Cuban government during the session.