Cuban delegates exit UNGA meeting hall as Trump speaks on Cuba

Cuban delegates left the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Hall on Tuesday morning as US President Donald Trump spoke about Cuba in addressing the UNGA's 81st session.

Video footage shows that multiple delegates rose and left the Cuban seats in protest as Trump described Cuba as a "failed state." Trump said that his administration is "seeking a fundamental change in the situation in Cuba," while accusing the island country of cultivating "ties to subversive and radical groups." He added that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is handling negotiations with Cuba.

The United States has escalated pressures and sanctions against Cuba since late January while bilateral relations have been strained for decades.

Following US military actions against Venezuela and Iran earlier this year, Trump threatened that "Cuba is next," enforcing an oil blockade and intensifying a long-standing embargo to choke off the island nation's economic lifelines.