UN General Assembly calls on US to lift embargo against Cuba — The Rio Times
The UN General Assembly in New York, United States, on October 28, 2026, adopted a resolution calling on the United States to end its economic, trade and financial embargo against Cuba. The document was supported by 130 states, 17 voted against it and another 25 abstained, The Rio Times reports.
The resolution, drafted by Cuba, is recommendatory in nature and does not change US rules on travel, trade or money transfers. It became the 34th General Assembly vote on this issue since 1992.
Support for Cuba declined
In 2025, a similar text was supported by 165 countries, seven voted against it and 12 abstained. Thus, the number of votes in favor decreased by 35 over the year. According to the publication, the current figure is the lowest since 1995, when 117 states supported the resolution.
Twenty-one states did not take part in the 2026 vote, while a year earlier there had been nine such countries. Compared with 2025, the number of votes against increased by 10, while the number of abstentions rose by 13.
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Positions of the United States and Cuba
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz called on states to vote against the document and said that the United States does not impose a blockade on Cuba. He also reported that US companies exported $876 million worth of goods to the island during the first eight months of 2026, including fuel worth approximately a quarter of a billion dollars.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla called the US measures collective punishment. The European Union, represented by Ireland, expressed disagreement with the extraterritorial effect of US sanctions, while noting that decisions by the Cuban authorities had also significantly affected the crisis in the country. Chile and Peru explained their abstentions by the human rights situation in Cuba, while Qatar also said it had abstained.
The US embargo is enshrined in US legislation. The 1996 Helms-Burton Act links the president's authority to suspend it to the establishment of a transitional government in Cuba.
