Since 1962, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has tabled a resolution every year, except 2020, condemning the US and calling for the end of the economic, commercial and financial embargo which it imposed on Cuba when President Fidel Castro took office in 1960.
While many persons may regard the UNGA’s Resolution to be performative given that its decisions are not binding, the yearly tabling of the Resolution provides the opportunity for the UN membership, including Cuba, to highlight the devastating impact of the embargo on the lives and livelihoods of the people of Cuba.
At the UNGA meeting on 7th July 2026, the UN membership was once again required to vote on the resolution to end the decades’ long trade embargo as well as the recent energy blockade.
On 29th January 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14380 which tightened US stranglehold on the Cuban economy by imposing a blockade on oil shipments.
The order invoked national emergency powers and accused the Cuban government of undertaking “extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the United States”.
The US has threatened countries with high tariffs and sanctions if they engage with Cuba. Countries which have benefited from medical services through longstanding arrangements with the Cuban government have terminated these arrangements for fear of running afoul of US sanctions.
Vessels attempting to deliver oil to Cuba have been intercepted and their cargo seized. The oil blockade has compounded the economic embargo creating a humanitarian crisis.
Health and social conditions have deteriorated dramatically, putting the lives of over 10 million people at risk. National blackouts have caused hospitals to cease critical surgeries. Schools and businesses have also closed.
Families cannot cook because of the shortage of cooking gas. The transport system has been disrupted because of the shortage of gasoline and diesel. Water, waste and sanitation systems have broken down, which have worsened health conditions. Streets are also filled with garbage.
In summary, Cuban people – babies, children, women and men alike – have been forced to endure a level of suffering and deprivation that grates on the sensibility of all right-thinking people.
The member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have historically voted in favour of the resolution calling for an end to the inhumane and illegal US embargo of Cuba.
Traditionally, the resolution has received overwhelming support from the UN Membership with only Israel and the US voting against.
The position taken by the majority of the UN membership reflected the UN’s foundational principles, which promote international peace, security, sovereignty, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and universal respect and protection of human rights.
More recently, there has been a change in the voting pattern which suggests a growing disregard for the UN principles and the de-prioritisation of humanitarian objectives. Over 180 countries have traditionally voted to end the embargo but in 2025 and 2026, the number of votes fell to 165 and 136 respectively.
The number of abstentions rose from 12 in 2025 to 30 in 2026, while those voting against increased from 2 in 2025 to 9 countries in 2026. Prior to 2025, the highest number of abstentions was 3. This shift may also reflect countries’ fear of US sanctions, high tariffs and even a cut in US aid flows. The UN has also been threatened with a reduction in its funding.
For the first time since 1962, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada did not vote in favour of the resolution but abstained. Two other CARICOM countries, Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana failed to cast their vote on the resolution.
The betrayal cuts deep because Cuba has been a steadfast and faithful friend to many countries, including those in CARICOM. In spite of the duress that Cuba has been forced to endure, it has supported the human and social development of many countries through the provision of doctors, nurses, teachers and other professional services, scholarships, disaster response teams etc.
Cuba was also instrumental in the liberation struggles in southern Africa. The outcome of the UN vote suggests a major shift in CARICOM-Cuba relations as well as a change in the relationship between the UN and its member states as an increasing number of countries have chosen to eschew the UN’s foundational principles.
This raises fundamental questions about the relevance of the UN. Given its mandate, the UN must play a pivotal role in coordinating urgent and sustained relief to countries such as Cuba and Venezuela which are dealing with a humanitarian crisis.
Venezuela was devastated by two powerful earthquakes at the end of June while the humanitarian crisis in Cuba was engineered by the US. Therefore, the UN and its members must maintain pressure on the US to end the embargo and the oil blockade in order to bring immediate and tangible relief to the people of Cuba.
Cecila Melville