In brief
The resolution passed 130‑to‑17 with 25 abstentions, a drop from 165 votes in favor in 2025. Cuba condemned the vote and accused Washington of coercion, while U.S. officials blamed Cuban delegates' conduct. European and Latin American countries shifted their positions, and several international actors urged solidarity with Cuba ahead of the vote.
On October 27–28, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly voted to end the U.S. embargo on Cuba, a decision reached with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions. The vote marked a loss of 35 votes in support compared to the 165 favorable votes recorded in 2025, according to United Press International.
The change in numbers came amid shifting positions from several Latin American states. Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Paraguay moved to vote against the resolution. Chile, Peru and Honduras switched from support to abstention, while Costa Rica and Ecuador, which abstained last year, voted against it. In the region, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Panama maintained their support for Cuba.
In Europe, Germany, Italy and Latvia moved from supportive stances to abstention, a departure from their earlier positions.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla condemned the economic and humanitarian consequences of U.S. sanctions in a statement posted on X. “The consequences fall on people, limit their fundamental human rights, affect third countries and turn the population's essential needs into instruments of political coercion,” Rodríguez said. He described U.S. fuel restrictions as equivalent to a naval blockade and accused Washington of collective punishment and genocide.
In a separate press conference, Cuba’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Leyde Rodríguez, decried the U.S. blockade as genocidal. “This policy constitutes a form of collective punishment against the Cuban population and aims to suffocate the national economy,” he said, noting damages of $8.083 billion between March 2025 and February 2026.
U.S. officials replied that the resolution reflected Cuba’s internal policy, calling the conduct of Cuban delegates “unfortunate” and attributing their defeat to diplomatic tactics aimed at influencing other nations.
Ahead of the vote, African leaders urged unity, with Pan‑Africanist analyst Fortune Madondo calling U.S. pressure “blackmail” and warning other African states could face similar tactics. Italian scholars, including Luciano Vasapollo, appealed for European solidarity and rejection of Washington’s influence, while the National Italy‑Cuba Friendship Association asked Minister Antonio Tajani to reaffirm Italy’s historical opposition to U.S. sanctions.
Following the vote, Cuban President Miguel Diaz‑Canel celebrated the outcome as a “victory for the heroic Cuban people,” emphasizing the triumph of truth over lies and blackmail imposed by Washington.
