Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel [Getty Images]
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel [Getty Images]

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel pushed back sharply after Donald Trump called Cuba "a completely failed state," dismissing the US president's remarks as lies.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday (local time), Diaz-Canel responded to Trump's pointed criticism of Cuba during the UN General Assembly, saying the US president "keeps repeating the lie that Cuba is a threat" because he lacks the ability to justify "the punitive and genocidal economic war against the Cuban people." He added that "lies are merely the tool of those who deny the Cuban people their right to free self-determination."

Diaz-Canel said Cuba would "keep fighting for peace" and would "overcome the ruthless attacks from the United States."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also weighed in, writing on X that "Washington cannot accept the fact that Cuba is a fully independent and sovereign nation." Rodriguez called the US economic blockade, including its energy embargo, "the true collective punishment and genocide threatening Cuba and the international community."

Trump says Cuba 'will crumble'

US President Donald Trump [Getty Images]
US President Donald Trump [Getty Images]

Earlier the same day, Trump told the UN General Assembly in New York that Cuba's "communist regime is under the most pressure it has ever received" and that he was "seeking fundamental change in the situation in Cuba," Yonhap reported.

Trump labeled Cuba "a completely failed state," saying it "is failing worse than ever and will crumble." He added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was handling negotiations. "He is conducting deep negotiations with Cuba. Let's see what happens," Trump said.

Trump also said the Cuban regime had "cooperated with America's radical leftists and communist networks for decades," claiming it had cultivated ties with "subversive and radical organizations such as the Communist Party USA, Antifa and the Democratic Socialists of America."

As Trump continued his denunciations of the Cuban government, the Cuban delegation in the assembly hall walked out.


yul@heraldcorp.com