This past Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly passed its yearly resolution demanding the end of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. The outcome was the worst in the 34-year history of this initiative, with 130 votes in favor, 17 against, and 25 abstentions, as revealed by the official UN voting board.
The most significant revelation isn't the total number of supporters but rather which countries withdrew their backing. Twelve nations that had previously supported or abstained in 2025 opted to vote against the resolution this time around. These countries include Austria, Barbados, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Lithuania, Morocco, Slovenia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
These 12 new opposing votes join the group of seven countries that maintained their previous stance against the resolution in 2025: the United States, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, North Macedonia, Paraguay, and Ukraine.
The pivot from Trinidad and Tobago was not unexpected. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had declared during the Caricom meeting in February 2026 that her country would not support a dictatorship in Cuba or elsewhere, advocating for free elections and political pluralism.
The Rise of Abstentions
Among the 25 countries that chose to abstain, Germany stands out, having consistently supported the resolution since 2002. Berlin was joined in abstention by Albania, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands, Poland, and Romania, among others.
A Dramatic Decline
The decline in support is even more pronounced when viewed against historical votes. In 2025, the resolution garnered 165 votes in favor and only seven against. In just a year, Cuba lost 35 backers while opposition more than doubled. When compared to 2024, when the resolution saw 187 favorable votes and a mere two against, the drop is even more stark: in two years, support dwindled by 57, while rejections increased by more than eightfold.
This trend had been anticipated. In July 2026, a procedural vote to authorize an extraordinary debate on the embargo received only 136 votes in favor, with Trinidad and Tobago and Germany already altering their historical voting patterns.
Controversial Debate
The immediate context of the vote was marked by a heated debate the day before. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla physically approached the podium where U.S. Ambassador Michael Waltz was speaking, prompting Assembly President Khalilur Rahman to briefly suspend the session with a curt "Please return to your seat."
During his address, Waltz presented delegates with images of Fidel Castro's $40,000 Rolex watches, Hermès ties, and Montblanc pens belonging to Díaz-Canel, as well as properties owned by the Castro family. He also cited a Miami Herald investigation that reported the military enterprise conglomerate GAESA amassed $18 billion in profits and $14 billion in cash in secret accounts.
Despite the historic result, the Cuban Foreign Ministry celebrated the vote on social media with a graphic declaring "Cuba's Victory" and the slogan "Cuba is not a threat, the blockade is."
It's important to note that the resolution is not legally binding; its passage does not alter or lift the embargo, which can only be removed by the U.S. Congress. The peak of support for the regime was recorded in 2016, during the thaw with the Obama administration, when the resolution secured 191 votes in favor and none against.
Frequently Asked Questions on Cuba's UN Resolution
Why did Trinidad and Tobago change its vote on the UN resolution regarding Cuba?
Trinidad and Tobago's shift was signaled earlier by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who stated that her country would not support dictatorship in Cuba or elsewhere, advocating for democratic elections and political diversity.
What does the UN resolution on the U.S. embargo on Cuba entail?
The resolution calls for the end of the U.S. embargo on Cuba. However, it is not legally binding and does not change the existing embargo, which remains in the hands of the U.S. Congress to modify or lift.
Which countries supported the resolution in previous years?
In 2025, the resolution was supported by 165 countries, and in 2024, it received 187 votes. The peak support was in 2016 with 191 votes in favor and none against.