In brief
The UN General Assembly cast 130 votes in favor of a resolution demanding the end of the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, amid 17 votes against and 25 abstentions. The vote, the 34th in a row, criticized the 1996 Helms‑Burton Act and called for all states to repeal extraterritorial sanctions. A tense exchange between U.S. and Cuban delegations at the assembly sparked a brief suspension of debate.
The United Nations General Assembly in New York voted Wednesday to condemn the United States’ embargo on Cuba, a move that has been repeated for 34 straight years, according to a report by Xinhua. The resolution passed with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions, demanding that all states end the economic, commercial and financial blockade and repeal laws of that nature, notably the 1996 Helms‑Burton Act.
In a rare moment of confrontation, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz and Cuban delegation members were engaged in a shouting match during the debate, Xinhua reported. Waltz attempted to present photo evidence of alleged corruption in Cuba, prompting a point of order from the Cuban table that escalated into a heated exchange with the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez’s on‑the‑floor protest. The assembly president temporarily suspended debate before proceedings resumed.
The resolution criticizes the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions, which the act extends to foreign companies trading with Cuba, as a violation of international law and a source of hardship for the Cuban people. The objection was voiced by member states; Singapore, for instance, warned of worsening socio‑economic conditions on the island.
While 130 countries joined in demanding the embargo’s end, 17 countries voted against it, and 25 abstained. The United Nations called for all states to refrain from applying the Helms‑Burton Act and urged those that continue to do so to repeal or invalidate it as soon as possible, as stated by Xinhua.
