Emma Vigeland calls U.S. pressure on Cuba a siege
Emma VigelandCo-host of The Majority Report, on her X account
Emma Vigeland says U.S. policy toward Cuba under Trump and Rubio is not an embargo but a siege that starves people over decades-old humiliations, with what she calls no discernible foreign policy objective other than sadism.
“This is not an embargo. The US has had an embargo on Cuba for over 60 years, and it has failed. Trump and Rubio are overseeing a siege on Cuba, starving people over decades-old humiliations to US intel and capital, with no discernible foreign policy objective other than sadism.”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Should the United States seek "fundamental change" in Cuba's government?
In his September 22, 2026 address to the UN General Assembly, President Trump called Cuba "an absolutely failed state," said it is "failing like never before, and it will fall," and said his administration is "seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba." He also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is "deep into negotiations with Cuba." The Cuban delegation walked out of the hall during the remarks. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez responded on X that Washington cannot accept that Cuba is independent and sovereign, called Trump's statements false, and said Cuba is not a threat to the United States or to other countries. The dispute is whether the United States should openly pursue the fall of Cuba's government.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Emma Vigeland posted this on X on February 17, 2026 (UTC), quoting a clip of Trump discussing Cuba and the embargo.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Vigeland posted this on X on February 17, 2026 (UTC), quoting a clip in which Trump says, "In the meantime, there's an embargo. There's no oil. There's no money."
After the quotation
The quoted clip shows Trump declining to say whether he would consider an operation like the one in Venezuela.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to the administration's push for fundamental change in Cuba, Vigeland condemns its pressure campaign as a siege that starves people.
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More from this case
Read the full caseDíaz-Balart backs continued U.S. pressure on Cuba's government
“I am totally convinced that that regime will not survive President Trump's administration, one way or another (Translated from Spanish. Original: Yo estoy totalmente convencido de que ese régimen no va a sobrevivir la administración del presidente Trump de una forma u otra)”Read statement
Rodríguez responds to Trump's UN remarks on X
“Washington is "unable to accept" that Cuba is an independent and sovereign country.”Read statement
Trump's Cuba remarks to the UN General Assembly
“My administration is also seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba, where the communist regime is under great pressure, the biggest pressure they've ever been under. It's an absolutely failed state. It's failing like never before, and it will fall.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Emma Vigeland calls U.S. pressure on Cuba a siege". First published: 2026-10-21. Last updated: 2026-10-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/6381-emma-vigeland-says-u-s-policy-toward-cuba