NEWS
President Trump Says Cuba “Will Fall” at UN General Assembly as Cuban Delegation Walks Out
U.S President Donald Trump has delivered a sharply worded warning about Cuba at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, declaring that the communist-run island is a failed state and predicting that its government will eventually collapse.
During his address on Tuesday, September 22, Trump said his administration was pursuing what he described as a “fundamental change” in Cuba, arguing that the government in Havana was facing unprecedented pressure from Washington.
Trump stated:
“My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba, where the communist regime is under great pressure-the biggest pressure they’ve ever been under. It’s an absolutely failed State, it’s failing like never before, and it will fall.”
He subsequently added:
“Communism will never be coming to America, but freedom will be coming to Cuba.”
The remarks triggered a dramatic moment inside the UN General Assembly hall, as members of the Cuban delegation walked out during Trump’s comments.
Reuters confirmed that the Cuban delegation left the chamber while the US president was speaking about Cuba.
Trump also said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was involved in negotiations with Havana, indicating that Washington’s pressure campaign was occurring alongside diplomatic contacts. He maintained that the United States would not permit Cuba to serve as what he described as a haven for foreign adversaries threatening American security.
The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana. The Trump administration has increased economic pressure on Cuba, including measures affecting sanctions, travel and the island’s access to foreign oil.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez subsequently rejected Trump’s characterization of the country, saying Cuba had the right to remain an independent and sovereign state.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also criticized Trump’s remarks and defended Cuba’s right to self-determination.
The walkout added another striking diplomatic episode to Trump’s UN appearance, which also saw members of Iran’s delegation leave during his remarks about the Iranian government.
Trump’s Cuba comments therefore turned an already closely watched UN address into a highly visible confrontation between Washington and Havana, with the Cuban delegation’s departure providing a dramatic response to the president’s prediction that the island’s cu
rrent system “will fall.”