Karin Sullivan asks Caribbean governments to reject Cuba's embargo resolution

Karin Sullivan, chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS, published an opinion article Thursday asking regional governments to reject Cuba's United Nations resolution on the embargo. The effort came before the General Assembly's next vote. Titled ‘The Truth Behind Havana's Darkness,’ the article presents Washington's view of Cuba's crisis.

Sullivan disputes the claim that the embargo explains Cuba's blackouts and health crisis. She attributes both problems to the Cuban government's management and contrasts that view with Havana's explanation. The appeal seeks to challenge the central argument Cuba uses internationally regarding U.S. sanctions.

Sullivan cites more than $810 million in U.S. exports to Cuba during 2025, including food, medicine and medical equipment permitted under U.S. law. The article uses those shipments to challenge the idea of a total blockade and argue that trade occurs despite restrictions. The figure is one of the concrete points offered to Caribbean governments.

The dispute concerns Cuba's embargo resolution, which will soon go before the U.N. General Assembly. Washington seeks to reduce international support for Cuba, and Sullivan addresses Eastern Caribbean governments. Havana, meanwhile, alleges a campaign of diplomatic intimidation. The vote has become the focus of renewed U.S. diplomacy and Cuba's response.

The article is part of a broader diplomatic effort Washington has pursued in recent weeks. Sullivan's appeal specifically asks Eastern Caribbean governments to consider the U.S. argument before the vote. She combines claims about responsibility for blackouts and the health crisis with the figure for authorized exports, while Havana characterizes the pressure as intimidation.