By Ahmed Abdelsalam
The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to condemn the US economic embargo on Cuba, but a notable number of countries abstained or voted against the resolution for the first time in 34 years amid pressure from the Trump administration.
Vote Results Show Shift
The resolution passed 130-17 with 25 abstentions, a significant change from last year's 165-7 vote with 12 abstentions. Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained for the first time in 34 years, while Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates broke from their historic position by voting against the resolution. Costa Rica, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras and Chile, which have traditionally backed Cuba’s efforts, either opposed the resolution or abstained.
Trump Administration Pressure Cited
Washington's campaign to influence the outcome was attributed as the reason several countries voted against the resolution or sat out for the first time. The vote is not legally binding but reflects world opinion. It comes as Cuba endures deepening financial crises while the US increases its already punishing economic campaign. Trump recently raised the specter of US military intervention, saying US warships could stop over in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war.
Confrontation at the UN
Tensions spilled into public forums on Tuesday when US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez engaged in a shouting match on the General Assembly floor. Shortly after Waltz began criticizing the socialist government, Rodríguez walked to the podium and called him a liar while seeking a point of order. “This individual needs to back away from this podium. He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America,” Waltz said as UN security intervened. “You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up.”
Escalating Diplomatic Tensions
In a post on X, Rodríguez reminded Waltz he was at the UN, not at a White House national security meeting. “With his crude lies at the UN General Assembly, the US government has launched another desperate attempt to justify its economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy blockade,” he wrote. A week earlier, a similar interaction occurred between Waltz and Cuban official Ernesto Soberón Guzmán outside a US-hosted panel with Cuban dissidents. The episodes reflect a clear break from traditional diplomatic decorum and a new phase of contentiousness between the US and Cuba.
Embargo History and Recent Escalation
The US embargo against Cuba was first imposed in 1960 after Fidel Castro led a revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista and nationalized properties belonging to US citizens and corporations. The Caribbean country has spent decades facing dire economic and financial troubles. In late January, Trump announced he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, a warning that has effectively cut off fuel to the island, leading to widespread power outages affecting cooking, water supply, internet and telephone services.
