Overview
- The General Assembly adopted Cuba’s non‑binding resolution on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, by 130 votes to 17 with 25 abstentions, marking the 34th consecutive annual condemnation of the U.S. embargo.
- A public, heated exchange between U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez briefly halted debate and underscored heightened diplomatic confrontation during the session.
- UN human rights reporting and statements from Brazil said a U.S. energy blockade imposed since January has helped trigger multi‑hour daily blackouts that disrupted medical care, water supplies and humanitarian shipments to Cuba.
- Washington actively lobbied delegations to oppose or abstain, producing a larger set of abstentions and opposing votes than in 2025 and prompting Cuban accusations of coercion; the U.S. also cited roughly $876 million in U.S. exports to Cuba in the first eight months of the year.
- Although the vote is symbolic and not legally binding, the slimmer margin weakens longtime global consensus and could affect diplomatic alignments, humanitarian access and how shipping and insurers handle deliveries to Cuba going forward.