UN votes overwhelmingly against US embargo on Cuba

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UN votes overwhelmingly against US embargo on Cuba

2026-10-29 14:00 Last Updated At：17:11

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for an end to the decades-old U.S. embargo on Cuba.

The resolution was adopted with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.

It expresses concern about the continued promulgation and application of laws and regulations, including the Helms-Burton Act enacted by the United States in 1996, whose extraterritorial effects undermine the sovereignty of other states, the legitimate interests of individuals and entities under their jurisdiction, and the freedom of trade and navigation.

The resolution calls on all states to refrain from promulgating and applying such laws and measures, and urges states that have applied and continue to apply such laws and measures to take necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible.

The resolution also requests the UN secretary-general to prepare a report on the implementation of this resolution and to submit it to the General Assembly at its next annual session.

Wednesday's resolution marked the 34th consecutive adoption of a resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba.

Speaking at the General Assembly, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez strongly criticized remarks made by the U.S. representative Michael Waltz, who shouted "this is the United States" during a heated exchange of words with Rodriguez the day before.

"This is the United Nations. This is the United Nations organization. Where we are standing is the capital of multilateralism. Here is the center of an international order that is based on international laws and the UN Charter. This is the most universal and democratic institution of the United Nations," said Rodriguez.

"The remark reflects a worldview -- the way they view and treat the entire planet as if the Earth were part of U.S. territory. The way they view Cuba, the way they view everyone seated here, as if you were one of the 50 states of the United States. This is the very core of the so-called 'peace through strength' concept: might makes right, imposing peace by force. Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is the threat," Rodriguez continued.

The United States has adopted a hostile policy towards Cuba following the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, and imposed a full economic and financial blockade as well as a trade embargo against Cuba in 1962. In March 1996, the United States enacted the Helms-Burton Act, which stipulated harsh sanctions against all foreign companies engaged in economic and trade relations with Cuba.

Palestinians in West Bank see little hope in Israeli vote

Most Palestinians in the occupied West Bank see no prospects for positive changes in their lives, no matter the outcome of the parliamentary election in Israel.

Israel held its first parliamentary election on Tuesday, three years after Hamas' October 7 attacks in Israel and Israel's war on Gaza. The election pit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- Israel's longest-serving leader with nearly 19 years in office -- against former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

The situation has changed dramatically on the ground in the West Bank since Oct 7, 2023, with Israel tightening its grip over the territory ever since.

As voting unfolded in Israel on Tuesday, a full military closure and lockdown entered its fifth day in the West Bank, with the continuous demolishing of homes in the city of Hebron, where more than 4,000 Palestinians have reportedly been forcibly displaced. Netanyahu ordered the lockdown and immediate cordoning off of Hebron on Friday, following a shooting attack that injured five Israelis.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned earlier this week that the scale of Israel's military operation in the West Bank and threats to empty or erase neighborhoods there raise serious concerns of ethnic cleansing, a sentiment echoed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Whether Netanyahu clings to power with his far-right allies or his centrist rival Eisenkot comes out on top, few in the West Bank see much reason for hope in the vote.

Mahmoud Darwish is among many Palestinian residents of Ramallah who believe that Israel's occupation policies will largely remain the same, regardless of the election outcome.

"They're two sides of the same coin -- Netanyahu or anyone else, it's the same. What matters to them is their belief in the existence of the State of Israel. We are constantly bearing the blows. They find ever more ways to torment us, destroy our homes and devastate every aspect of our lives, whoever is in power," he said.

After 85.6 percent of votes were counted in Tuesday's election, the opposition parties pulled ahead, securing 67 seats in the 120-member parliament, while Netanyahu's camp won 53 seats, according to Wednesday's official results updated by the Central Elections Committee.