Statement on UN Vote Condemning US Embargo on Cuba

Today the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn the United States embargo on Cuba, with the U.S. and Israel as the lone opposing votes and Moldova abstaining. The 187-2-1 vote for the non-binding resolution is the thirty-second consecutive year in which the non-binding resolution was adopted by large margins. 

“Every year, the UN vote highlights that the U.S. is completely alone in its mission to punish the Cuban people as a means to an end,” said Center for International Policy senior non-resident fellow María José Espinosa.

Wednesday’s vote occurred at a moment where Cubans are facing one of the worst crises in decades, with brutal blackouts affecting more than 10 million Cubans amid an ongoing energy crisis, economic crisis and historic exodus.

This crisis presents urgency and opportunity to revive a policy of engagement. Espinosa continues:

“As a policy, the U.S. embargo on Cuba is an epic failure. Cubans are no more empowered, no closer to achieving democracy than they were in February of 1962. Instead, the embargo has ensured Cubans face a daily struggle to meet their basic needs, without pushing the Cuban government toward political reform.

“The U.S. should abandon the failed regime-change-through-sanctions strategy and resume a normalization process focused on promoting economic freedoms, fostering open exchange, technological growth, and global market connections to create space for economic and democratic actors. This approach is not a concession to the Cuban government but a pragmatic strategy that aligns with the best interests of both the United States and the Cuban people.”

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