The UN has voted again to condemn the US embargo on Cuba, but support fell to 130 countries, the lowest since 1995. Should the embargo finally end?
The vote on 28 October was 130 in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions, down from more than 160 in favour last year. Germany and Italy abstained after previously backing it. The resolution is not legally binding, and the embargo dates back to 1960.
What happened
On 28 October the UN General Assembly passed its annual resolution calling for an end to the US economic, trade and financial embargo on Cuba, by 130 votes to 17 with 25 abstentions. It was the weakest support since 1995; last year more than 160 countries backed it. Germany and Italy abstained after previously voting in favour. Cuba accused Washington of pressuring countries with tariffs and visa threats. The resolution is not legally binding. The embargo dates to 1960, after Fidel Castro's revolution, and Cuba faces fuel shortages and power cuts.
Why people disagree
Supporters of lifting it say six decades of embargo have not changed Cuba's government and that ordinary Cubans bear the hardship; Cuba's foreign minister said the US was trying to strangle the Cuban people. Supporters of keeping it say the pressure should stay until the government changes. US ambassador Mike Waltz said Cuba's plight is the fault of its own leaders, citing their luxury lifestyles, and that its ports are open.
What's still unclear
Whether the fall in support reflects changing views of Cuba or US lobbying, as Havana claims. Whether the trend continues next year, and how much of Cuba's crisis is down to the embargo rather than its own government's choices.
Sources
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