United Nations calls for end to US embargo on Cuba, again

Cuba denies US allegations of mercenary enactment successful Ukraine and insists the embargo is simply a signifier of corporate punishment.

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly called for an extremity to a US economical embargo connected Cuba for a 33rd year, contempt lobbying by Washington that included sharing an accusation that up to 5,000 Cubans are warring alongside Russian forces successful Ukraine.

It adopted a solution with 165 votes successful favour, 7 against and 12 abstentions. Unlike erstwhile years, the US convinced Argentina, Hungary, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Ukraine to articulation it and Israel successful voting against the resolution.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 3Hurricane Melissa hits Cuba aft sidesplitting 26 radical successful Haiti, Jamaica
• list 2 of 3Trump connected Tylenol: What helium said, causes of autism, acetaminophen explained
• list 3 of 3Cuba captures Chinese cause ringing fishy wanted by US, Mexico says

Last year, the General Assembly adopted the solution with 187 countries voting successful favour. The United States and Israel were the lone countries that voted against it, portion Moldova abstained.

Cuba has rejected arsenic unfounded the US claims and released accusation connected ineligible proceedings against Cubans for mercenary enactment successful Ukraine. Communist-run Cuba has openly sided with its state Russia successful the struggle portion besides calling for bid talks.

The UN ballot carries governmental weight, but lone the US Congress tin assistance the Cold War-era embargo. The 193-member UN General Assembly has adopted the solution annually for much than 3 decades – but for 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

“The blockade is simply a argumentation of corporate punishment,” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told the assembly earlier the vote. “It flagrantly, massively and systematically violates the quality rights of Cubans. It makes nary favoritism betwixt societal sectors oregon economical actors.”

“Cuba volition not surrender,” helium said.

Before the vote, US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, described the yearly workout arsenic “political theatre” by Cuba to “cast itself arsenic the unfortunate of aggression portion plainly describing itself arsenic ‘the force of the United States’.”

“I would suggest that our subordinate states halt appeasing the authorities with their votes and alternatively usage this ballot to nonstop the satellite a message,” Waltz said during the General Assembly statement Tuesday, adding that the ballot besides could awesome to Cuba not to “blame each of its economical problems connected the United States.”

Deputy US ambassador to the UN, Jeff Bartos, said connected Wednesday that a ballot successful enactment of “this authorities gives it the excuse oregon seeks to lavation its hands of immoderate culpability for its fiscal situation and proceed to play the blasted crippled alternatively of implementing meaningful reforms”.

“The United States volition proceed to beforehand accountability for the communist regime, and their reprehensible behaviour connected and disconnected the island,” helium told the assembly aft the vote.

The United States consistently has voted against the UN resolutions since 1992, but abstained for the archetypal clip successful 2016 nether erstwhile President Barack Obama, arsenic Washington and Havana forged a person relationship.

Washington past returned to opposing the solution nether President Donald Trump’s archetypal administration. Trump besides rolled backmost astir each measures taken by Obama to easiness the embargo and amended ties betwixt the United States and its aged Cold War foe.

The United States continued to ballot nary nether Trump’s successor, President Joe Biden’s administration.