The United Nations is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution condemning the decades-long US economic embargo on Cuba as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign to undermine Cuba’s socialist government, including by threatening military intervention.
The annual exercise aimed at calling out the US government’s “maximum pressure policy” has been put before the UN General Assembly for the past 34 years, and each time the resolution has received overwhelming support from the 193 member states. Last year, the vote was 165-7, with 12 abstentions.
And while it is still expected to pass by a large margin this year, it is unclear if the Trump administration’s overt campaign to influence the vote will result in more opposition or abstentions from key countries — including Western allies — than it has in previous years. While such resolutions are not legally binding, they reflect world opinion.
The vote before the world body comes as Cuba is weathering deepening financial crises while the US increases its already punishing economic campaign. On top of this, President Donald Trump last week once again raised the specter of US military intervention, saying US warships could stop over in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war.
The tensions between Washington and Havana have spilled over into public forums at the United Nations.
