Only US and Israel oppose UN call to end Cuba embargo: The what, why, and how

The United Nations General Assembly recently voted overwhelmingly in favor of ending the decades-long trade embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba, marking the 31st consecutive year that the international body has called for an end to the embargo. 

What

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, the United Nations General Assembly has yet again raised its voice against the United States and its decades-long embargo on Cuba. 

• The vote comes at a critical time for the communist-run island, which is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, characterized by severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.

Two naysayers

The resolution, which is non-binding but carries significant symbolic weight, received strong support from the international community, with 187 member states voting in favor. 

• Only the United States and Israel opposed the resolution, while Ukraine chose to abstain. 
• Somalia, Venezuela, and Moldova did not participate in the vote, highlighting the divide over the issue.

🚨 BREAKING: Every single country in the world, except the US and Israel, voted to condemn the US blockade on Cuba. Ukraine abstained. pic.twitter.com/OCe1vr423J

— Calla (@CallaWalsh) November 2, 2023

Cuba's plea 

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez made a passionate plea to the General Assembly before the vote, urging the world to support "reason and justice" in line with the UN Charter and international law.

• He labeled the US embargo as "the most cruel and long-lasting unilateral coercive measures ever applied against any country" and characterized it as a "crime of genocide" and an "act of economic warfare during times of peace." 
• Rodriguez alleged that the US embargo's primary objective is to weaken Cuba's economy, leaving its people in dire straits and aiming for a change in the government.

take note— the blockade of Cuba is absolutely cruel and genocidal, denying Cubans food, medicine, and basic necessities. it forces Cubans to suffer at home or desperately flee their island.

the only two countries IN THE WORLD who support the blockade: the u.s. + israhell. https://t.co/3uILbi5t1m

— #FreeMumia (@HalfAtlanta) November 2, 2023

Context and impact

The ongoing embargo, which dates back to 1960 in the aftermath of Fidel Castro's revolution and the nationalization of properties belonging to US citizens and corporations, has had a devastating impact on Cuba. 

• According to Rodriguez, the embargo prevents Cuba from accessing essential resources like food, medicines, and medical equipment. 
• It also hampers Cuba's ability to export its goods to the neighboring United States, resulting in substantial economic losses, with 2022 alone accounting for nearly $5 billion in damages.

Continued dispute

While there was a moment of thaw in US-Cuba relations under President Barack Obama, with the US abstaining from the resolution vote in 2016, the subsequent Trump administration reinforced sanctions and renewed its opposition to the resolution. 

Rodriguez criticized the Trump administration for adding new sanctions, and he accused the Biden administration of strengthening measures aimed at pressuring Cuba in the economic and financial sectors.

While it's hard to think of anything other than the siege of Gaza by the murderous apartheid state of Israel, also remembering tonight those under siege in Cuba for decades as UN vote to condemn US illegal blockade approaches. Free 🇨🇺 Free 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/p0E1GEqnYb

— Clare Daly (@ClareDalyMEP) November 1, 2023

Cuba currently

The situation in Cuba is further complicated by its worst economic crisis in decades, which some experts have compared to the difficulties faced during the 1959 Cuban Revolution. 

• The Cuban government is currently struggling to secure the necessary funds for increased imports of essential goods. 
• However, the island nation is undergoing a transformation, with the recent legalization of small and medium-sized private companies, resulting in the launch of over 8,000 such businesses since September 2021.

Eritrea, on behalf of Group of Friends of the Charter: "Thirty General Assembly resolutions have not been enough to end the blockade, 30 years during which the message has been clear: the Cuban people has the right to build its own future free of any interference or pressure. pic.twitter.com/iYC33hKgJG

— CUBAONU (@CUBAONU) November 1, 2023

US agenda

The trade embargo, largely unchanged since its inception, creates challenges for Cuba's financial transactions and acquisition of goods and services. 

• The US argues that the embargo is intended to promote "human rights and fundamental liberties in Cuba" and that humanitarian exceptions are made. 
• US diplomat Paul Folmsbee noted that the United States remains a significant source of humanitarian goods to the Cuban people and one of Cuba's main trading partners, having sold $295 million worth of agricultural products to Cuba in the previous year.