Cuba's UN vote: can US pressure shift 34 years of support?

The UN General Assembly was set to vote Wednesday on a resolution condemning the decades-long US economic embargo on Cuba — the 34th time Havana has brought the measure since 1992. Last year's tally was 165-7, with 12 abstentions.

The vote itself is routine. The run-up was not.

On Tuesday, US official Waltz detailed alleged corruption by Cuba's socialist government on the General Assembly floor. Cuban delegation members, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, banged on their table and yelled for a point of order. Rodríguez walked to the head of the General Assembly and yelled "You are a liar!" at Waltz. Waltz responded: "You understand who you're dealing with? This is America. Back up."

Cuban UN Ambassador Ernesto Soberon accused Washington of pressuring countries ahead of the vote, saying the State Department, the US UN mission and US embassies worldwide had launched efforts to weaken traditional support. "They are trying to change historical positions at gunpoint," Soberon said.

The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against Cuba's government, including threatening military intervention.

That combination — public lobbying plus threats — is what makes this year's vote more than a formality. The question now is whether US pressure moves countries that have long backed the measure, or whether it hardens them.

A narrower margin, or more abstentions from Western allies, would signal that Washington's campaign is reshaping even symbolic diplomacy. A lopsided result would underscore Cuba's enduring support at the UN despite its isolation from the US.

The vote result was not known at the time of writing.