UN condemns US embargo of Cuba, but more nations sit out after Trump pressure

The United Nations General Assembly denounced the United States' economic embargo of Cuba for the 34th consecutive year on Wednesday, as Washington sought to sway the outcome and influence member nations' votes. The resolution received 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, a significant drop from the previous year when over 160 nations supported the measure and just 12 abstained.

This year, for the first time in 34 years, several Western countries, including Germany, Italy, and Latvia, abstained from voting. Other nations, such as Bosnia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Lithuania, Morocco, North Macedonia, Paraguay, and Slovenia, also voted against the resolution, most for the first time.

The United States' campaign to influence the outcome led to a shift in international support, coinciding with the island nation facing power outages, shortages, and worsening financial troubles under the Trump administration's effort to force changes in Cuba's political system. President Donald Trump threatened military intervention, stating American warships could stop over in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denounced the embargo as a threat, not a threat to the island.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz warned member states that their vote was the only thing standing between the regime and using the body for propaganda gain at the expense of the Cuban people. Tensions between Washington and Havana escalated into public confrontations at the UN, with Waltz and Rodriguez engaging in a shouting match during the debate on the embargo resolution.