In brief
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions, marking a decline from last year's support. Cuban officials condemned the vote as a continuation of sanctions, while U.S. officials blamed internal Cuban policy and criticized the conduct of Cuban delegates. Prior to the vote, leaders in Africa, Italy, and Peru urged solidarity with Cuba, but their calls remain unverified in the final outcome.
On October 28, 2026 the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution to end the United States embargo on Cuba, but the island nation lost 35 votes in support compared to the previous year’s tally.
UN General Assembly Vote
The vote ended 130 in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions, a sharp drop from 165 votes in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions in 2025, according to United Press International.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla condemned the resolution as a continuation of Washington’s sanctions. He said:
The consequences fall on people, limit their fundamental human rights, affect third countries and turn the population's essential needs into instruments of political coercion.
He added that U.S. fuel restrictions were equivalent to a naval blockade and accused Washington of collective punishment and genocide.
In contrast, U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy for the vote outcome and criticized the conduct of Cuban delegates, as reported by UPI.
In the weeks before the vote, African leaders, Italian scholars, and former Peruvian ambassador Hugo Otero all urged their governments to support Cuba, citing U.S. pressure and blackmail. Those appeals were not reflected in the final voting record and remain unverified by the outcome.
After the vote, Xinhua reported that Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel described the approval as a victory for “truth over lies and blackmail.” He wrote:
It is a triumph of truth over those who rely on lies and blackmail to subject an entire nation to collective punishment.
He echoed Foreign Minister Rodríguez’s claim that the embargo is the threat, not Cuba, and that the nation’s economic losses total nearly $179 billion.
