Cuban delegate tries to seize phone during UN confrontation
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Newly added footage shows a Cuban delegate lunging at US ambassador Mike Waltz’s spokesman and trying to take his phone as he recorded a shouting match at the UN. The confrontation highlights worsening relations between Washington and Havana, amid increased US pressure on Cuba.
Waltz accused Cuba’s leaders of illicit wealth and displayed photos of Fidel Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel wearing Rolex watches. He said a watch valued at about $40,000 would equal 55 years of an average Cuban wage, citing Cuban government figures; Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla called him a liar, and Waltz told him to “Back up”. A Cuban diplomat later criticised Waltz on social media, while the article also cites President Donald Trump’s remarks about possible action against Cuba.
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In short
- New footage shows a delegate trying to take a phone during the UN clash.
- Waltz and Cuba’s foreign minister traded accusations over wealth and intimidation.
- The confrontation comes as US pressure on Havana increases.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago At Tuesday’s UN General Assembly session, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla confronted Waltz after he accused Cuba’s leaders of illicit wealth and cited Rolex watches worn by Fidel Castro and President Miguel Díaz-Canel; Waltz told him to “Back up”, and the spokesman’s recording captured a Cuban delegate trying to take his phone.
- 1 hour ago Footage showed a Cuban delegate lunging at a spokesman for US ambassador Mike Waltz and trying to seize his phone as he filmed a heated exchange at the UN, amid rising tensions between Washington and Havana.
Full account
A confrontation between the United States and Cuba’s representatives disrupted a session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. US Ambassador Mike Waltz was speaking during the annual debate on the US embargo against Cuba, urging countries to reject a resolution calling for the restrictions to be lifted. He accused Havana’s government of enriching its leaders while ordinary Cubans faced hardship, which he attributed to corruption and repression within the country.
Waltz cited images of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and current President Miguel Díaz-Canel wearing Rolex watches. He argued that the cost of such luxury goods contrasted with the wages of ordinary Cubans, referring to figures he said came from the Cuban government’s own statistics. Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla approached the podium and challenged Waltz’s remarks. As the General Assembly president sought to restore order, Waltz told Rodríguez to step back and said he could not be intimidated or silenced.
After Cuba was given the floor, Rodríguez called Waltz a liar and said his comments were beneath the dignity of the forum and insulting to Cuba’s government and people. The reports also describe a separate incident involving a Cuban delegate and Waltz’s spokesman, J.P. Freire: the delegate allegedly lunged towards Freire and tried to take the phone he was using to record the exchange. Freire said the same delegate had previously used intimidation against clerks to interrupt Waltz’s microphone. That account appears in one report; the other does not mention the attempted phone seizure.
The argument reflects the continuing dispute between Washington and Havana over the embargo and the Cuban government’s record. Waltz later posted on X that Cuba’s leaders did not want the public to know about their luxury property holdings, while Cuban diplomat David Ramírez Álvarez criticised Waltz’s conduct. The accounts differ in emphasis: one foregrounds the luxury-watch allegations and the reported attempt to grab a phone, while the other focuses on the interruption at the podium, the debate over the embargo and the exchange of accusations in the Assembly.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 reports that a Cuban delegate tried to seize J.P. Freire’s phone and includes Freire’s allegation of earlier intimidation over Waltz’s microphone; Source 2 does not mention either claim.
Source 1 centres the Rolex images and alleged disparity with Cuban wages, and includes criticism of Waltz by Cuban diplomat David Ramírez Álvarez. Source 2 gives more detail about the embargo debate, the Assembly president’s efforts to restore order and Rodríguez’s response after Cuba was granted the floor.
The accounts use different wording for Waltz’s remarks and describe the podium encounter with different levels of detail. The phone incident and prior microphone claim are attributed to Source 1’s account and Freire, rather than independently confirmed by both reports.
Explained simply
The confrontation took place at the United Nations, where US and Cuban officials aired their governments’ long-running dispute. The United States and Cuba have had strained relations for decades, shaped by political differences and US sanctions.
Mike Waltz is the US ambassador to the UN, and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla is Cuba’s foreign minister. Cuba is led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel; Fidel Castro, whose image featured in the exchange, led the country for many years after the 1959 revolution.
The dispute matters because Washington has been increasing pressure on Havana, while Cuba’s government rejects US criticism and policies. Their exchanges at the UN reflect wider tensions between the two countries.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Chaos at the UN as US ambassador Mike Waltz explodes at Cuba’s foreign minister in fiery showdown: ‘Back up!’”.