UN Overwhelming Condemns U.S. Blockade for 34th Year

For the 34th consecutive year, the UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted in support of Cuba’s resolution condemning the U.S. economic blockade on the island.

For decades, the U.S. and Israel have typically been the only two countries opposed to the resolution. In 2024, they stood alone in a 187–2 vote. Last year, following an aggressive U.S. lobbying campaign, five other countries joined them.

This year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz ramped up the pressure campaign to isolate Cuba at the UN.

A leaked State Department cable obtained by The Nation in July exposed U.S. efforts to block a UN debate on the humanitarian impact of sanctions. In the weeks leading up to today’s vote, Rubio urged El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to align with U.S. priorities at the UN, while Waltz acknowledged lobbying European governments.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez claimed last week the Trump administration had threatened tariffs, visa denials and aid cuts to change countries' votes.

The massive lobbying effort failed. Today, the General Assembly voted 130-17, with 25 abstentions, to condemn the U.S. economic war on Cuba.