In brief
The UN General Assembly approved a resolution to lift the U.S. embargo on Cuba on October 28, 2026, with 130 countries voting in favor. The vote is the 34th time the international community has called for ending the embargo, yet Cuba saw a decline of 35 supportive votes compared with 2025. Reactions ranged from Cuban condemnation of U.S. pressure to calls from African, European, Latin American, and Latin‑American solidarity groups urging support for Cuba.
The United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution to end the United States embargo on Cuba on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with 130 votes in favor, 17 votes against and 25 abstentions. The vote marks the 34th time the international community has urged the lifting of the embargo, but Cuban officials noted a loss of 35 supportive votes compared with 2025, when 165 members backed the measure.
Reactions from around the world
United Press International reported that the resolution passed for 130 votes versus 165 in 2025, with more countries opposing or abstaining. Cuba’s government condemned the vote as a continuation of U.S. sanctions. U.S. officials blamed Cuba’s internal policy and criticised Cuban delegates’ conduct. Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced the economic and humanitarian consequences of U.S. sanctions, saying the embargo restricts fuel, medicine and food and called Washington’s actions “blackmail” that “incur collective punishment and genocide.”
Cubans’ rights are being violated, and the embargo hinders access to fuel, medicine and food, leaving ordinary people to suffer.
Carlos Rodríguez stated the U.S. fuel restrictions are equivalent to a naval blockade.
Xinhua highlighted Cuba’s celebratory reaction, with President Miguel Diaz‑Canel dubbing the outcome a “victory for the heroic Cuban people” and a triumph of truth over “lies and blackmail.” He praised the resolution as proof that “Cuba is not a threat, the embargo is.” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez echoed the sentiment, describing the vote as a “new victory” and affirming that the embargo is a “real threat.”
It is a triumph of the truth over those who rely on lies and blackmail to subject an entire nation to collective punishment.
Diaz‑Canel emphasized the world’s opposition to the embargo, even under “crudest pressure and blackmail” by Washington.
Prensa Latina (Africa’s call) published an analysis by Fortune Madondo urging African states to unite and oppose U.S. pressure. He condemned Washington’s tactics as blackmail, citing sanctions, visa denials and support for opposition parties. Madondo warned that if Cuba becomes a target, other African states could soon be threatened, and called for a unified stance at the UN.
Prensa Latina (Italian academician) featured Luciano Vasapollo’s appeal for European solidarity. He highlighted humanitarian impacts, citing the inability to access essential resources and the high number of vulnerable people in Cuba, while urging European governments to reject Washington’s coercive influence ahead of the vote.
Prensa Latina (Italian government letter) reported that the National Italy‑Cuba Friendship Association sent a letter to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urging a favorable vote. The association cited historical opposition to U.S. sanctions and criticized U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s pressure on governments. It reminded Tajani of cultural bonds and Italy’s independent stance on Cuba’s sovereignty.
Prensa Latina (Cuban Ambassador to the Holy See) presented Leyde Rodriguez’s statements that the blockade is genocidal, with $8.083 billion in damages from March 2025 to February 2026. He argued the sanctions impose collective punishment and compared the energy siege to a naval blockade, noting that cumulative losses approach $178.7 billion in current prices and that the blockade prevents economic growth and social development.
Prensa Latina (Former Peruvian ambassador) featured Hugo Otero’s call for Latin American solidarity. He urged Latin American states to defend Cuba’s sovereignty, framing U.S. actions as a threat to the continent’s independence and dignity. Otero linked Peru’s diplomatic tradition to resistance against external domination and warned that U.S. pressure would undermine shared regional values.
Prensa Latina (Brazilian committee) reported that the General Abreu e Lima Anti‑Imperialist Committee supported Cuba and former leader Raul Castro. The committee criticized the U.S. arrest warrant against Castro and accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of pressuring governments to vote against the resolution. It described the blockade as genocidal and called for solidarity with Cuba, emphasizing the shared fight against U.S. aggression in Latin America.
