UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Votes for 31st Time to End US Embargo on Cuba; US and Israel Oppose

Despite 187 countries supporting the resolution to lift the US blockade on Cuba, the Biden administration maintains that the embargo is a tool to promote human rights. The embargo, causing Cuba an estimated $5 billion in losses in 2022 alone, is decried by Cuban officials as a "crime of genocide".

For the 31st consecutive year, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted for the United States to end its decades-long trade embargo against Cuba. Despite 187 countries supporting the resolution, the U.S. and Israel opposed it while Ukraine abstained.
The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, cast the embargo as a 'crime of genocide', stating that Cuba is prevented from accessing food, medicines, technological and medical equipment, and is prohibited from exporting to the U.S., a massive market for its goods. The effects of the embargo have resulted in nearly $5 billion in losses for Cuba in 2022 alone.
The U.S. diplomat Paul Folmsbee, who opposed the resolution, argued that the embargo aims to promote human rights and fundamental liberties in Cuba. Despite the embargo, the U.S. is a significant source of humanitarian goods to the Cuban people and sold Cuba $295 million worth of agricultural products last year.
The U.S. embargo on Cuba, which began following Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, has been largely unchanged with some elements stiffened by former President Donald Trump. The relationships between the two countries have shown little signs of improvement, despite some minor favorable moves under the Biden administration.
According to the Cuban government, the embargo has led to a notable decline in the quality of life of Cubans by limiting their access to essential commodities such as medicines, food, and fuel. The embargo's effect has been further amplified by Cuba's inclusion in the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, leading to an increase in the number of Cubans migrating to the U.S. in search of economic opportunities.

South China Morning Post