Cuba accused the US of pressuring and blackmailing several countries to change their UN vote against the US blockade on the country.In a social media post on Wednesday, October 14, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of pressuring several countries’ governments ahead of the United Nations General Assembly vote on Cuba’s resolution against the economic, commercial, and financial blockade.The US Secretary of State is nervous and anxious in the face of a new defeat at the United Nations. He is putting pressure on and blackmailing Heads of State and Government from several countries so that they change their vote against the blockade at the UN General Assembly.Through his repeated lies and new actions he attempts to silence the act of collective punishment against the Cuban people and turn the rest of the international community into an accomplice of this barbaric act.#CubaIsNotAThreat The Blockade Is.— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) October 14, 2026The foreign minister stated that Washington is attempting to change other countries’ positions before the vote on the resolution. This occurs just days before the vote that Havana considers central to its diplomatic battle with the US.Complaint by the Cuban foreign ministerMinister Rodríguez stated that “Rubio is contacting heads of state to influence their votes.”In his statement, the Cuban minister connected these efforts to Washington’s stance on the resolution against the blockade. He accused the United States of resorting to pressure and blackmail to avoid an unfavorable outcome at the United Nations.Vote in the General AssemblyMinister Rodríguez’s complaint refers to the upcoming vote on Cuba’s resolution in the UN General Assembly.Each year, the UN General Assembly debates a resolution presented by Cuba calling for the end of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States against the island.The 2026 vote is scheduled for late October. Havana decries that Washington is conducting diplomatic efforts to change several countries’ support for the initiative.Is Starvation Rubio’s Only Strategy? The New Attack on Cuba’s Private SectorSince January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than two dozen rounds of sanctions against Cuba, including measures against organizations in the energy, mining, and financial sectors connected to Cuba’s military apparatus.Amid this economic war, Cuba has been promoting a package of more than 170 reforms to reactivate its economy since June.The United States blockade against Cuba has caused losses of $8.0833 billion between March 2025 and February 2026, according to a report published by the Cuban government.Havana attributes worsening blackouts, difficulties importing fuel, food, and medicine, and greater obstacles to conducting transactions with foreign suppliers to the financial, commercial, and energy restrictions imposed by the US. (HispanTV)Translation: Orinoco TribuneOT/SC/SF