For the first time in 25 years, the US has abstained from voting on a UN resolution seeking an end to crippling trade embargo imposed by America against Cuba, a move welcomed by India and other nations
Bruno Rodríguez (right-front), Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, heads its delegation October 26, 2016 at the thirty-second plenary meeting of the General Assembly, at the UN in New York. Pic/AFP
United Nations: For the first time in 25 years, the US has abstained from voting on a UN resolution seeking an end to crippling trade embargo imposed by America against Cuba, a move welcomed by India and other nations.
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In a near unanimous action, the General Assembly on Wednesday adopted the resolution in which 191 countries voted in favour, while the US, which had been opposing it for 25 years, cast an abstention along with Israel.
“For more than 50 years, the United States had a policy aimed at isolating the government of Cuba. For roughly half of those years, UN member states have voted overwhelmingly for a General Assembly resolution that condemns the US embargo and calls for it to be ended. The US has always voted against this resolution. Today, the US will abstain,” said US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power at the meeting of the Cuba embargo.
She said the US policy of isolation toward Cuba was not working and instead of isolating Cuba “our policy isolated the United States. Including right here at the UN”.
Power, however, added that abstaining did not mean the US agrees with all of the policies and practices of the Cuban government.
“We are concerned by the human rights violations that the Cuban government continues to commit with impunity against its own people, including arbitrarily detaining those who criticise the government; threatening, intimidating, and, at times, physically assaulting citizens who take part in peaceful marches and meetings; and severely restricting the access that people on the island have to outside information,” she said.
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