Cuban Foreign Minister Claims Cuba Lacks Images of Repression Seen in the U.S.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told the United Nations General Assembly that he could not find images in Cuba showing “violent repression” against protesters, while presenting photographs he said relate to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Speaking Tuesday during a special session requested by Cuba to discuss the U.S. embargo, Rodríguez responded to U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz, who previously showed images of Cuban political prisoners and read names including Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Osorbo, and Duannis León Taboada, a 24-year-old sentenced to 14 years. The speech contrasted with human rights reporting after the July 11, 2021 protests, when the Cuban regime arrested more than 1,500 people and Human Rights Watch documented abuses. As of May 2026, human rights groups estimate 1,281 political prisoners, with 338 still tied to those demonstrations. Rodríguez also referenced Cuba’s third total electrical system collapse of the year and blamed hardships on a U.S. “energy blockade,” while the U.S. criticized Cuba’s own embargo-like practices involving GAESA’s $18 billion fund and alleged lack of funds for hospitals.