Waltz and Cuba’s foreign minister trade accusations during UN exchange

Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla traded accusations during a heated exchange at the UN General Assembly, where the Cuban delegation interrupted Waltz as he spoke. Waltz told Rodríguez Parrilla to “back up,” while Rodríguez Parrilla accused Waltz of dishonesty, according to Hindustan Times.

The exchange took place ahead of a vote on condemning the US embargo on Cuba. Accounts describe the interruption differently in emphasis. The Washington Examiner says members of the Cuban delegation shouted and banged on their table while Waltz spoke. Hindustan Times says Rodríguez Parrilla walked up to Waltz’s podium and accused him of dishonesty.

The New York Post reports that video showed a delegation member apparently trying to take spokesman J.P. Freire’s iPhone while Freire recorded the exchange; that account describes the attempted grab as apparent, not confirmed. Waltz challenged the interruption and said Rodríguez Parrilla would not intimidate him.

The Washington Examiner reports that Waltz called the Cuban foreign minister’s point of order invalid and alleged that he raised it because he objected to the substance of Waltz’s remarks. The New York Post also reports Waltz comparing the incident to intimidation of political prisoners.

These are Waltz’s claims about Rodríguez Parrilla’s conduct and the reason for the point of order. Waltz also used images of Cuba’s leaders to argue against the Cuban government’s position.

Hindustan Times reports that he displayed an image of Fidel Castro wearing two Rolex watches, each valued at about $40,000, and said the watches’ value equalled 55 years of an average Cuban wage, citing Cuban government statistics. The Daily Mail also describes Waltz showing a photograph of Castro with two watches and making the wage comparison.

Hindustan Times adds that Waltz displayed an image of current Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and said he also wore a Rolex. The confrontation occurred in the context of the dispute over the US embargo, with the planned UN vote on condemning it providing the immediate diplomatic setting.

The sources document the exchange and the competing accusations, but do not report the vote’s outcome. The coverage also does not establish whether the delegation member shown in the New York Post video actually took Freire’s phone.

The accounts foreground different elements: Hindustan Times highlights the accusation of dishonesty and the embargo vote; the Washington Examiner emphasizes the delegation’s interruption and Waltz’s challenge to the point of order; and the New York Post focuses on the phone video and Waltz’s comments about intimidation.

The Daily Mail stresses Waltz’s display of Castro’s watches and the wage comparison. Fox News and Townhall also reported a heated confrontation, with Townhall’s headline emphasizing Waltz’s “Back Up!” remark.