UN backs call to end US embargo on Cuba as support falls by 35 votes
The General Assembly voted 130–17 for the non-binding resolution, with 25 abstentions. Reuters reported US lobbying ahead of the vote, but the reason for the lower tally is unclear.
The UN General Assembly voted on 28 October in New York to urge an end to the US embargo on Cuba, with 130 countries in favour, 17 against and 25 abstaining, according to Reuters. Support fell by 35 votes from last year, but the non-binding resolution does not change US law.
Reuters reported that a US lobbying push led several countries to oppose the resolution or abstain for the first time in years. The 2025 vote was 165 in favour, seven against and 12 abstentions. The UN has not given a reason for this year’s lower tally, according to The Rio Times, so the shift cannot be attributed entirely to that lobbying.
How countries voted on the Cuba embargo resolution
The US and Israel were among the countries voting against the resolution, Reuters reported. Germany and Italy abstained for the first time in many years. The vote shows a larger group declining to support Cuba’s call, even as 130 countries backed it.
After the vote, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said he was satisfied that countries including South Korea and Germany had shifted position. He said he expected that trend to continue. His remarks followed his appeal during the debate, before the result was known.
What the UN vote means for the US embargo
The General Assembly’s vote carries political weight but is not legally binding. Only the US Congress can lift the embargo, Reuters reported. The 193-member assembly has adopted a resolution calling for its end annually for more than three decades, apart from 2020 during the COVID pandemic. The US has maintained trade restrictions on Cuba for more than 60 years.
The vote followed a tense 27 October debate between Cuban and US representatives. After the result, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez alleged in a post on X that the US had pressured countries and described the embargo as collective punishment, Reuters reported. Cuba has blamed US sanctions for an economic crisis marked by shortages of basic goods, failing infrastructure and inflation.
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Sources and context
- US gets more countries to oppose UN resolution condemning its Cuba embargoReuters, republished by The Straits Times
- Cuba UN Vote Drops to 130 YesThe Rio Times
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.