In brief
The vote, which passed 130‑to‑17 with 25 abstentions, marks a decline in Cuba‑backing nations amid U.S. criticism. Cuban officials condemned the outcome as a continuation of sanctions, while U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy and its delegates’ conduct. Pro‑Cuba voices from Latin America, Africa, and Europe called for solidarity ahead of the decision.
The United Nations General Assembly approved the resolution to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba on Wednesday, 28 October, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions. The decision marks a loss of 35 votes of support for Cuba compared with 165 in favor, seven against and 12 abstentions in the 2025 vote.
United Press International reports that the Cuban government condemned the vote as a “continuation of U.S. sanctions,” while U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy and criticized Cuban delegates’ conduct in the debate.
During the session, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla delivered a speech in which 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 also likened U.S. fuel restrictions to a naval blockade and denounced the sanctions as generational genocide.
In a statement posted on X, President Miguel Diaz‑Canel celebrated the UN vote as a “victory for the heroic Cuban people,” calling it a triumph of “truth over lies and blackmail.” He said the resolution was an “overwhelming proof that the embargo is the threat.”
Latin American nations that switched positions were Colombia, Chile, Peru, Honduras, Costa Rica and Ecuador, all moving away from support for the resolution. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Panama maintained their backing of Cuba’s stance.
European countries such as Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained from voting, departing from their earlier positions of support.
Across the world, pro‑Cuba voices urged solidarity. African scholars from Zimbabwe warned that U.S. pressure tactics were a form of blackmail, and called for a single‑voice stance in the UN vote. Italian academics and youth groups urged the Italian government to vote in favor of lifting the embargo, citing humanitarian and economic harms. The Brazilian anti‑imperialist committee also expressed solidarity with Cuba and criticized U.S. sanctions as a tool of isolation.
In addition, former Peruvian ambassador Hugo Otero called on Latin Americans to defend Cuba’s sovereignty, urging that the island remain a symbol of resistance against external domination.
The UN resolution, titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” will be debated again by member states on 27–28 October as the international community examines the long‑standing U.S. sanctions.
