UN General Assembly again condemns US embargo on Cuba; India votes in favour
The resolution passed with 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions, a narrower margin than in past years after a US lobbying push.
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday again adopted a resolution calling for an end to the decades-old US economic embargo on Cuba, with India among the countries voting in favour.
The measure received 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions. The United States and Israel were among those voting no. The Assembly has passed a similar resolution every year for more than three decades, but this year's tally showed fewer supporters, with countries such as Germany and Italy moving to abstain.
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US claims shift, Cuba alleges pressure
US Ambassador Mike Waltz said he was pleased that several countries, including Germany and South Korea, had changed their position, and argued that the trend would continue. Cuban officials accused Washington of pressuring governments with threats of tariffs, visa restrictions and other penalties. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the US was once again isolated in its policy towards the island.
The vote followed an angry confrontation in the Assembly hall on Tuesday, when Rodriguez approached the podium during a speech by Waltz on alleged corruption in Cuba's leadership, prompting the Assembly's president to briefly suspend proceedings. On Wednesday, the US said it was expelling a first secretary of Cuba's UN mission, accusing him of physically engaging with an American diplomat during the incident. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric condemned the breach of protocol and said additional security staff had been deployed.
India's position
Explaining India's vote, Soumya Nair, a counsellor at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said India supports the Assembly's call for states to avoid laws with extraterritorial effects and believes international disputes are best handled through dialogue and diplomacy. She said India hoped the embargo would be lifted soon so that Cubans could participate more fully in international cooperation, and pointed to reported shortages of medicines, food and fuel on the island.
Why it matters
India has consistently supported the resolution, in line with its long-standing position against unilateral sanctions that affect other countries' trade. The narrower margin this year signals how US diplomatic pressure is reshaping voting patterns at the UN, an issue of interest to countries like India that value strategic autonomy in their foreign policy.
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