During the opening general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Monday, a top Caribbean diplomat delivered a clear, human-centered appeal, calling for a resumption of diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Cuba to mend decades of bilateral tensions. Dr. Walton Aubrey Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, emphasized that the international community cannot ignore the growing daily hardships that ordinary Cuban citizens face as a result of long-running political standoffs between Washington and Havana. Webson stressed that placing the well-being of the Cuban population at the core of all diplomatic efforts is not just a moral imperative, but a necessary step toward building a lasting peaceful resolution. He made it clear that collective punishment of an entire population over political disagreements is unacceptable, arguing that civilian lives and livelihoods should never be held hostage to bilateral disputes. This appeal aligns with Antigua and Barbuda’s broader regional vision, which prioritizes diplomatic dialogue, cross-border cooperation, and shared stability across the Caribbean and beyond. “Across our region, our purpose is clear: to protect human dignity, strengthen stability and ensure that dialogue and cooperation prevail,” Webson told the assembled global delegation. The call comes amid years of frozen diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, with ongoing economic restrictions that have widely been documented to exacerbate economic hardship for ordinary Cuban households, a concern that has drawn repeated calls for diplomatic engagement from across the Global South and the Caribbean community.
Antigua and Barbuda Calls on U.S. and Cuba to Return to Negotiating Table
