In brief
A UN General Assembly resolution calling for the end of the U.S. embargo against Cuba passed 130‑to‑17 with 25 abstentions, yet Cuba suffered a decline of 35 affirmative votes from 2025. The Cuban foreign ministry condemned the outcome, citing Washington’s “economic warfare”, while U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy for the lost support. African and European delegations issued statements urging solidarity with Cuba as the vote approached.
In New York City, the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday approved a resolution to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba, passing 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions, with 21 countries not voting. The result marked a decline of 35 affirmative votes compared with the 165 in favour in 2025.
Countries that had supported the resolution in 2025 switched sides: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Paraguay voted against; Chile, Peru, Honduras and the Dominican Republic abstained. In Europe, Germany, Italy and Latvia shifted from support to abstention.
The Cuban government condemned the vote. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said the U.S. sanctions had “economic and humanitarian consequences” that “limit fundamental human rights”.
“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,” Rodríguez said.He likened U.S. fuel restrictions to a naval blockade and accused Washington of collective punishment.
U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy for the reduced support. Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel posted on X that the vote was “a victory for truth over lies and blackmail” and praised the strong international backing.
Other international voices called for solidarity. In Africa, Pan‑Africanist analyst Fortune Madondo urged a unified stance at the UN, warning that U.S. pressure was “blackmail”. In Europe, Italian scholar Luciano Vasapollo, and the National Italy‑Cuba Friendship Association, appealed to governments to reject Washington’s influence and support the resolution. The Brazilian anti‑imperialist committee also expressed solidarity, citing the U.S. blockade’s impact and urging a vote to end the embargo.
