Cuba to put a resolution against the US embargo to a UN General Assembly vote for the 34th time

Another vote on the embargo

Cuba will submit to the UN General Assembly a resolution demanding an end to the American economic embargo that has been in place for more than six decades; the vote is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. This was reported by the Cuban radio station Radio Angulo, cited by the Anadolu agency. The document, titled 'Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,' is being put to a vote for the 34th time since 1992.

Accusations of pressure and the consequences of the blockade

Cuba's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ernesto Soberon, said that Washington is trying to pressure countries on the eve of the vote: 'They are trying to change historical positions at gunpoint,' Radio Angulo quoted him as saying. According to the diplomat, the US State Department, the US Mission to the UN and American embassies around the world have launched a campaign to weaken traditional support for the Cuban resolution. Soberon also noted that the vote is taking place against the backdrop of increased US pressure on Cuba, including energy restrictions and sanctions against third countries, and cited prolonged power outages and difficulties in accessing medicines, food and drinking water among the consequences of the embargo.

What is known about the status of the resolution and past results

The resolution is advisory in nature: the General Assembly cannot compel Washington to lift the embargo, which remains within US jurisdiction. The restrictions were formally imposed in February 1962 under President John F. Kennedy. At the last session of the General Assembly, the document was supported by 165 states, seven voted against and 12 abstained, according to official figures. This year's vote comes amid a severe economic crisis in Cuba, characterized by fuel shortages, power outages and a lack of basic necessities.