US military actions in Caribbean face UN and Cuban condemnation

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has accused the United States of attempting to militarize Latin America and the Caribbean. Speaking during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and a CELAC ministerial meeting, Rodríguez claimed Washington is using the fight against drug trafficking as a pretext to implement a new version of the Monroe Doctrine through strategic corollaries and economic pressure via tariffs.

In a related development, United Nations special rapporteur Ben Saul has criticized U.S. military raids against suspected narco-vessels in the Caribbean. Saul reported that approximately 70 raids over twelve months have resulted in at least 234 deaths. The rapporteur characterized these actions as “serial extrajudicial executions in violation of the right to life” and stated there are “reasonable grounds to believe” they constitute “crimes against humanity of murder” under customary international law.

While the White House has not officially responded to the UN report, the Trump administration has maintained that the raids are necessary. Meanwhile, 14 countries are reportedly preparing to designate 25 Latin American criminal groups as terrorist organizations, mirroring the legal framework used by the United States to justify its regional operations.