Cuban Ambassador to the Holy See decries genocidal blockade
Vatican City, Oct 26.- Cuba’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Leyde Rodriguez, denounced the genocidal nature of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on his country by the United States, noting its intensification since the beginning of this year.
During a press conference, the diplomat pointed out that the damages inflicted upon the Caribbean nation reached a record figure of $8.083 billion between March 2025 and February 2026.
He emphasized that this policy constitutes a form of collective punishment against the Cuban population and aims to suffocate the national economy—all this as the United Nations General Assembly prepares to once again examine a resolution calling for the blockade’s lifting, scheduled for October 27 and 28.
Rodriguez specified that the damages recorded during the most recent period analyzed were seven percent higher than the peak reported a year earlier, while the cumulative losses over decades of the blockade amount to $178.7 billion in current prices.
The ambassador explained that the report titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”—which will be discussed at the UN—documents the consequences of this policy for the economy, human rights, and the daily lives of the population.
According to Cuba’s representative to the Vatican, had the blockade not existed, the Cuban economy would have had greater opportunities in 2025 for growth, productive recovery, the expansion of exports, and social development.
Referring to energy restrictions, he warned of their cross-cutting effects across all areas of national life and questioned the consequences of maintaining such a siege for more than 10 months—likening it to a naval blockade, which, under certain circumstances in international law, is considered an act of war. (Prensa Latina)
