Geneva, 2 June, 2026.- UN experts* today expressed profound concern regarding the escalating threats, coercive measures and judicial weaponisation deployed by the United States of America against Cuba.
“Efforts to change the constitutional order of a sovereign State through threats and coercion echo colonial-era practices,” the experts said.
Following the abduction of Venezuela’s President Maduro in January 2026, President Trump’s declaration of the so-called «Donroe Doctrine» in March 2026 asserting US predominance over the Western Hemisphere has raised significant alarm.
“Statements by the US President regarding the «honour of taking Cuba» reflect a deeply concerning strategy of coercion against a sovereign State.”
“This assertion is not mere rhetoric, but part of a broader strategy involving the long-standing embargo on Cuba, its listing as a State-sponsor of terrorism, the recent fuel blockade and the imposition of coercive measures on third parties,” the experts said.
The recent federal indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, appears connected to these efforts to undermine Cuba’s sovereignty. This misuse of domestic judicial proceedings against sitting or former heads of State, as an instrument of coercive foreign policy constitutes an abuse of process that violates the principles of sovereign equality and self-determination under the UN Charter.
The experts said that the announcement of the deployment of the USS Nimitz to the southern Caribbean underscores an additional element of unlawful coercion, contravening articles 2(4) and 2(7) of the UN Charter, as interpreted by the International Court of Justice.
The experts have previously pointed to the severe humanitarian implications of oil import restrictions imposed on Cuba since January 2026, warning that Cuba faces vast energy shortages and blackouts that disrupt essential services and ultimately the right to life, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable groups.
“These actions are part of a disturbing trend of lawlessness and contempt of multilateralism and the UN Charter. The normalisation of coercion and threats of regime change undermines the integrity of the entire international legal order.”
“A democratic and equitable international order requires that all States, regardless of size or power, participate on equal footing, free from undue pressure,” they said.
The experts urge:
The Government of the United States to immediately cease all threats against Cuba’s sovereignty and to revoke unilateral coercive measures adopted contrary to international law.
All UN Member States to refrain from recognising or implementing measures that violate the principles of sovereign equality and non-intervention, and to take all appropriate steps within the
UN framework to uphold the international legal order.
The UN Security Council and General Assembly to urgently address the threats against Cuba as a matter affecting international peace and security.