Peñalver, who attended the event as a special envoy of President Miguel Diaz-Canel, conveyed his country’s gratitude to the Ugandan presidency of the Movement and the Serbian authorities for organizing the meeting, and expressed Cuba’s “genuine pride” in being a founding member of the NAM.

The first deputy minister underscored in a text released by the Foreign Ministry that the Movement’s founding principles remain fully valid in the current international context and its activism as the voice of the countries of the Global South “is more necessary than ever in the face of today’s colossal challenges.”

The Cuban diplomat denounced the US administration for tightening the blockade against Cuba through an “energy siege that amounts to a naval blockade,” secondary sanctions on third countries, and a persistent threat of direct military aggression.

He explained that these policies have had painful consequences for the Cuban people, including a waiting list of more than 90,000 patients for surgical procedures, the depletion of the basic medicine list, and the inability of thousands of containers of food and medical equipment to reach Cuban ports.

The deputy minister quoted the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Raul Castro, to underscore that “the security and peace of the rich are not those for which we, poor countries, fight,” and remembered that Cuba aspires to “peace with sovereignty, independence, dignity, justice, and development.”

He thanked the NAM for its historic condemnation of the blockade, the energy siege, and Cuba’s inclusion in Washington’s State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list, as well as recognizing the cooperation that the island maintains with several member states of the Movement.

Peñalver closed his remarks with words by the historical leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, who warned, “the success and future of the Non-Aligned Movement will depend on our ability not to allow imperialist ideology to penetrate its ranks, confuse, or deceive.”

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