United Nations: Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell used his UN General Assembly address on Saturday to renew calls for lifting restrictions on Cuba, echoing appeals made by Caribbean leaders for decades while his nation faces mounting US pressure over its Cuban ties.

Speaking to the 80th UN session, Mitchell argued that “restrictive measures and political divisions continue to weaken international collaboration and punish countries like Cuba that have sought to deliver that promise that education holds.”

The appeal comes amid escalating tensions between Grenada and Washington. In August, the US revoked Finance Minister Dennis Cornwall’s visa over alleged complicity in Cuba’s medical mission scheme, which Washington views as “forced labor.” Additionally, a US fishing import ban targeting Grenada takes effect in January 2026, potentially costing the island nation “millions of dollars” as over 90% of its fish exports go to the US market.

The fishing restrictions stem from Grenada’s failure to meet the standards of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, with the country being denied “comparability” status unless corrective actions are implemented.

Mitchell defended Cuba’s educational partnerships, stating: “From the Republic of Cuba to the Kingdom of Morocco, from the People’s Republic of China to the United Mexican States, and beyond, such partnerships have given thousands of our students opportunities in medicine, engineering, the sciences, and more… often offered in the spirit of friendship, and even in times of difficulty.”

The Prime Minister’s call continues a long Caribbean tradition of advocating for Cuba’s regional reintegration, with CARICOM nations consistently opposing US sanctions.

Cornwall, a Cuban university graduate, previously declared he would “give up” his US visa in support of Cuba, saying he had “a moral obligation” to defend Cuban doctors providing “irreplaceable service” in Grenada’s healthcare system.

Mitchell also used his address to advocate for protecting education during conflicts, declaring the Caribbean a “Zone of Peace” and calling for dialogue in global disputes affecting children in Palestine, Haiti, Sudan, and Ukraine.

“For Small Island States, every partnership in education and development is a lifeline. We cannot afford to see those lifelines severed by geopolitics,” he said.