Cuba walks out of UN General Assembly as Trump says ‘freedom will be coming’

The Cuban delegation to the United Nations General Assembly walked out during President Trump’s speech to the global body Tuesday after the president called for freedom on the island.

Trump said “freedom will be coming to Cuba,” and accused the Cuban communist regime of fomenting opposition in the U.S.

“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,” Trump said.

“It’s failing like never before, and it will fall,” he added.

Trump imposed an effective oil blockade against Cuba beginning in January, cutting off the island from its access to Venezuelan oil after the U.S. captured Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading negotiations with Cuban officials, although the details of the U.S. demands are not explicitly known, but include economic reforms and release of political prisoners.

Talks, however, have stalled and the Trump administration has ratcheted up sanctions against entities related to Cuba’s military and communist regime.