Overview
- Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez says Cuba obtained U.S. communications dated Oct. 8 and 17 urging Latin American and European governments to reject Cuba’s annual U.N. resolution on the embargo.
- Cuban officials say the messages alleged that Havana sent personnel to Russia and warned of possible reprisals such as visa restrictions and trade measures for countries that did not shift their votes.
- Cuba categorically denies any military participation in the Ukraine conflict and highlights domestic prosecutions for mercenarism, reporting 26 convictions with sentences of five to fourteen years.
- An external Ukrainian project reports that at least 1,028 Cubans signed contracts with Russian forces in 2023–2024, a claim echoed by AFP interviews, which Cuba disputes.
- The U.S. State Department counters that Cuba’s regime, not the embargo, drives the island’s problems and notes 2024 U.S. exports to Cuba rose 16% to $585 million ahead of the Oct. 28–29 General Assembly vote that last year passed 187–2–1.