Havana:Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez publicly accused the United States of committing genocide against Cuba and violating international law during a news conference held in Havana.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Rodriguez described the US as a "military, nuclear, economic and technological superpower" engaging in what he called an "atrocious and ongoing act of abuse against a peaceful, peace-loving nation."

Rodriguez further alleged that the US has been exerting pressure on United Nations member states to sway an upcoming vote on a resolution aimed at ending the longstanding US embargo against Cuba. He claimed that Cuba had revealed "brutal pressure and threats" from Washington towards countries prior to the vote, which included punitive tariffs, suspending cooperation programs, denying visas to officials and their families, and supporting opposition forces in elections.

Additionally, Rodriguez stated that the US circulated threatening documents among governments and their UN delegations, and suggested that some countries abstain or avoid the vote if they were unwilling to oppose Cuba. He described this alleged pressure campaign as "a novel and dangerous way of conducting multilateral diplomacy." Rodriguez warned that an international order maintained through military force would not be sustainable.

The accusations come after a US-hosted "Cuba Libre" panel at the UN headquarters in New York, where Cuban dissidents and former prisoners discussed alleged human rights abuses in Cuba. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz encouraged countries to oppose the resolution, while Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Soberon Guzman condemned the event and accused the US of imposing collective punishment on the Cuban people.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also criticized the alleged US pressure campaign in a post by the Communist Party of Cuba on X, specifically denouncing the presence of Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, whom he labeled as a "known terrorist and fraudster."

The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on the non-binding resolution calling for an end to the embargo on October 27-28. The US maintains that its policy towards Cuba is designed to promote democracy and human rights, while any potential lifting of the embargo would require congressional approval.