US sees shift in UN vote as Cuba condemns embargo

The United Nations General Assembly voted 130 to 17 on Wednesday to condemn the United States economic embargo on Cuba, maintaining a practice that has continued for over three decades.

Seventeen nations, including the United States and Israel, cast votes against the resolution. Twenty-five countries abstained from the vote, a group that included Germany and Italy, both of which have supported the condemnation in previous years.

Bruno Rodriguez, the Cuban foreign minister, described the outcome as the United States remaining isolated in its effort to strangle the Cuban people. He stated that neither pretexts, pressures, nor media campaigns would overcome the force of facts and truth.

The US administration, led by President Donald Trump, has recently implemented additional economic restrictions, including an energy blockade, to tighten the squeeze on the island’s economy. These measures have been part of a broader campaign to isolate Havana that has lasted more than 60 years.

US Ambassador Mike Waltz told reporters that he was satisfied with the shift in position from major economies such as Korea and Germany. He noted that the number of countries shifting their stance had tripled, and he expected that trend to grow over time.

Cuban officials accused the US of threatening nations with tariffs, visa restrictions, and other penalties if they voted to condemn the embargo. This diplomatic push coincided with a tense debate on Tuesday where US and Cuban officials shouted at one another and engaged in a physical altercation.

Waltz announced on Wednesday that Richard Tur de la Concepcion, a first secretary at the Cuban UN mission, would be expelled from the United States for assaulting an American diplomat. Both the US and Cuban missions had not responded to requests for comment as of publication.