The UN General Assembly condemned the US economic embargo on Cuba on Wednesday, voting 130-17 with 25 abstentions, according to PBS NewsHour headlines. Support for the measure fell notably from last year, amid US pressure on member states.
The vote marks the 34th year the assembly has condemned the embargo. According to PBS NewsHour headlines, more than 160 nations backed the measure last year and only 12 abstained.
This year, Germany, Italy and Latvia were among the countries that refrained from voting. According to PBS NewsHour headlines, it was the first time Western countries had done so in 34 years.
According to allAfrica, the 17 countries that voted against included the United States and Israel. Morocco was the only African country to vote against the resolution.
The resolution is not legally binding, but it reflects world opinion, according to allAfrica. It calls for lifting the economic, trade and financial embargo on Cuba.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz said he was satisfied that countries including Korea and Germany had shifted their position, according to allAfrica. He said he expects the number of countries changing position to keep growing.
The embargo was first imposed by the United States in 1960, after Fidel Castro led a revolution that toppled Fulgencio Batista and nationalized US-owned property.
The debate was tense. According to the sources, on Tuesday Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez had a shouting match on the General Assembly floor. Rodríguez called Waltz a liar, and Waltz said the United States would not be intimidated.
Waltz has also accused a member of Cuba’s delegation of attacking an American diplomat. This is reported only as his accusation. The sources do not give the Cuban side’s account.
The pressure on Cuba has also grown outside the assembly. In late January, Trump said he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. According to PBS NewsHour headlines, the move has effectively cut off fuel supplies, causing widespread power outages on the island.
Last week, Trump reportedly raised the idea of US military intervention in Cuba, saying American warships could stop over in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war. The sources confirm these remarks only through an AP account.
Several points remain unclear. The sources include no response from the Trump administration to Rodríguez’s accusations, and no response from Israel on its opposing vote. The description of the embargo as illegal, and the claim that Cuba is not a threat, come from allAfrica’s wording and Cuban statements, and have not been independently confirmed. Details from Premium Times could not be checked beyond the vote count, as only a headline and short excerpt were available. Key facts on the vote rely mainly on PBS NewsHour and allAfrica.
No specific next step was announced in the sources. Waltz’s remarks suggest further votes or diplomatic moves may follow.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.