The United Nations General Assembly votes on Wednesday on a resolution condemning the decades-long US economic embargo on Cuba, the 34th such annual vote. The resolution has received overwhelming support from the 193 member states each time it has been put forward; last year the vote was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. While such resolutions are not legally binding, they reflect world opinion.
Tuesday’s debate was suspended after a shouting match on the General Assembly floor between US Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez over the embargo, as the US intensifies its campaign against Cuba’s government, including an oil blockade and pressure on member states to oppose the resolution. Cuba is facing a deepening financial crisis, with fuel, electricity and essential supplies under strain. The vote’s margin this year will be watched as a measure of how far US lobbying has shifted opinion.
Sources: Associated Press, UN News. Written in our own words for information only.