By Madelyn Herrera
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. May 21, 2026: Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez this week stated that despite the U.S. blockade and threats of force, Cuba “continues to build its sovereign path toward socialist development and contribute, from its modest means, to the development of other peoples of the Global South.”
The remarks were made on May 15th during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in India, held as part of discussions on reforms of global governance and the multilateral system. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Rodríguez exchanged views on regional and international matters, reaffirming their countries’ opposition to unilateral sanctions that they say violate the United Nations Charter.
Lavrov also assured Rodríguez that Russia would support Havana’s demand for the immediate lifting of the U.S. trade, economic and financial blockade against the island, according to a press release on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. At the opening session on May 14th, the Cuban delegation denounced what it described as “the successive executive orders issued by the United States government that reinforce the economic blockade and the threat of military aggression against Cuba.”
The Cuban foreign minister said U.S. actions violate each country’s right to determine its own trade relations. In addition to the energy-related measures imposed on Jan. 29th this year, Cuba also criticized secondary sanctions it said are extraterritorial in nature and target countries that do business with the island.
Foreign ministers and heads of delegations from BRICS member and partner countries attended the ministerial meeting, which concluded last Friday. The meeting comes amid growing geopolitical tensions between Western nations and BRICS-aligned countries over sanctions, trade, and global governance reforms.