UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 29 — The UN General Assembly on Wednesday once again delivered a sweeping rebuke to the decades-long U.S. embargo against Cuba, with 130 member states voting for a resolution demanding an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade, underscoring Washington’s continued isolation over a policy widely criticized for violating international law and inflicting hardship on the Cuban people.
The resolution, adopted with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, expresses concern about the continued promulgation and application of laws and regulations, such as the 1996 Helms-Burton Act of the United States, the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty of other states, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction, and the freedom of trade and navigation.
It calls on all states to refrain from promulgating and applying such laws and measures, and urges states that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the steps necessary to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible.
Following two days of debate, Wednesday’s resolution was the 34th in a row on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba.
In a rare break from diplomatic decorum during the debate in the General Assembly Hall on Tuesday, the U.S. representative and members of the Cuban delegation were engaged in a shouting match.
Shortly after U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mike Waltz took the podium and began to show photos of the alleged proof of corruption in Cuba, members of the Cuban delegation pounded their designated table and raised a point of order.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, joined by members of the Cuban delegation, walked down the hall toward the podium to make his point, prompting a fiery exchange between Waltz and the Cubans. Rodriguez called Waltz a liar, and Waltz demanded the Cubans back off.
The Assembly president briefly suspended the debate before proceedings resumed.
In the two-day debate, the majority of UN member states spoke against the U.S. embargo and called for its end.
The Singaporean representative, who spoke on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, warned of the “troubling picture of the worsening socio-economic situation in Cuba,” underscoring shortages of essential medicines and a decline in food production.
Eritrea’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, also condemned the tightening of the embargo as “one of the most serious, prolonged, and systematic violations of international law.”
“The Cuban people have the right to build their own future, free from any kind of interference or pressure,” said the Eritrean representative.
Uganda’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, described the tightening of U.S. measures as “a form of collective punishment.”
Prolonged power outages have disrupted hospitals, schools, water distribution and food preservation, he said, calling for an end to the embargo against a country that “poses no threat to international peace and security.”
Namibia’s representative, speaking on behalf of the African Group, recalled Cuba’s historic solidarity with African countries. “The position of Africa on this question is settled at the highest level,” he said, underscoring that the African Union had renewed its call for the embargo’s removal for the seventeenth consecutive year.
Uruguay’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, criticized restrictions affecting trade, investment and financial transactions involving third countries, warning that they undermine Cuba’s prospects for sustainable development.
Introducing the draft resolution titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” on Wednesday, Rodriguez denounced “the disrespectful, provocative attitude” shown by the U.S. delegation on Tuesday.
“Cuba is not a threat. The (U.S.) blockade is a threat,” he said.
The U.S. embargo against Cuba was first introduced in 1960, a year after the Cuban revolution. In 1962, a full economic, commercial and financial embargo was imposed. The March 1996 Helms-Burton Act of the United States extends the territorial application of the embargo to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba. The U.S. administration led by President Donald Trump has further heightened pressure on Cuba.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
