The United Nations General Assembly voted 130-17 to condemn the United States economic embargo on Cuba on October 28, 2026, even as an intensive American diplomatic push persuaded a notable group of nations to abstain or vote against the annual resolution for the first time.
The 34th annual vote arrived against a backdrop of severe economic hardship in Cuba, where food production has declined by more than 50 per cent over the past five years and the health system faces critical shortages of essential medicines. While the non-binding resolution still drew overwhelming backing from 130 member states, the American lobbying campaign spearheaded by U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visibly shifted the middle ground as 25 nations abstained and 17 opposed the measure.
The Castro regime has profited at the expense of the Cuban people with luxury cars, expensive watches and a private island resort. As I shared this with the world, regime thugs rushed the stage to interrupt my speech.They can intimidate their own people in Cuba but think again… pic.twitter.com/2ZncGprkub
Shouting Match Erupts on the General Assembly Floor Between U.S. and Cuban Delegates
That diplomatic friction spilled over into open confrontation on the floor of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, when Ambassador Waltz took the podium to denounce the Cuban government’s economic record. As Waltz detailed allegations of corruption and luxury spending by state elites, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and members of his delegation began slamming their desks and shouting.
The clash escalated rapidly when Rodríguez Parrilla walked down the aisle toward the head of the assembly. As UN officials sought to tone down the outbursts, Rodríguez Parrilla yelled at Waltz, You are a liar!
Waltz fired back from the rostrum, telling the Cuban delegation that they were dealing with the United States and ordering them to back away.
New victory for Cuba.New victory at the @UN General Assembly against the US blockade.New demonstration that #CubaIsNotAThreat the Blockade Is. pic.twitter.com/65C2PpuP9y
You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up!
Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, via CBC
The assembly president briefly suspended the proceedings to restore order. When the session resumed under strict procedural rules, Rodríguez Parrilla took the floor to protest Waltz’s claims, accusing him of grossly lying
and arguing that the U.S. envoy’s comments were beneath the dignity of the forum.
State Department Expels Cuban First Secretary Richard Tur de la Concepcion
The confrontation continued off the podium when a member of the Cuban mission attempted to intervene. Ambassador Waltz announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had signed paperwork to expel Richard Tur de la Concepcion, a first secretary at Cuba’s U.N. mission, accusing him of shoving and attempting to assault an American diplomat.
Private island of corrupt regime in Cuba pic.twitter.com/jl93l6wD8D
He’s gone. He is going to be on a plane to Havana within the next 24 hours,
Waltz told Fox News during an appearance on Sean Hannity’s program, asserting a zero-tolerance policy for physical interference against American personnel at the international body.
In response to the incident, Cuba lodged a formal complaint with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the conduct of the American staff member involved.
Shifting International Support and the Economic Realities Behind the Vote
While the lopsided vote demonstrated enduring global opposition to the six-decade-old embargo, the diplomatic ground underneath the resolution shifted noticeably. Last year’s tally stood at more than 160 in favor with 12 abstentions, but the 2026 result recorded 17 opposing nations and 25 abstentions. Argentina, Ukraine, and Hungary opposed the measure.
Defending Washington’s economic pressure campaign, Waltz told reporters that he was satisfied that major economies had shifted their positions and predicted that the diplomatic trend would continue. The U.S. mission pointed to commercial data showing that American companies had exported $876 million in goods to Cuba during the first eight months of 2026, including a quarter billion dollars in fuel, arguing that the island’s economic crisis stems from domestic mismanagement rather than a total trade blockade.
In last year's UN #Cuba vote, for comparison, just 3 countries in the Western Hemisphere voted against (Argentina, Paraguay, U.S.), 2 abstained (Costa Rica, Ecuador), 3 did not vote (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Venezuela), and 26 voted in favorThe Donroe Doctrine in action https://t.co/oqQqN3aPz6
Opposing nations countered that unilateral coercive measures continue to inflict severe humanitarian damage on the civilian population. Representing India during the General Assembly debate, counsellor Soumya Nair emphasized that New Delhi endorses the global body’s appeal urging all states to repeal laws with extraterritorial effects that restrict development. With the General Assembly vote carrying political weight rather than binding legal authority, the statutory future of the embargo remains entirely within the purview of the U.S. Congress.
(1/2) How countries in the Western Hemisphere voted on today's UN resolution denouncing the U.S. embargo on #Cuba:In favor (13): Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Grenada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay
More on Cuba
The Castro regime once again sought to intimidate clerks into cutting off @USAmbUN’s mic for showing the world the dictatorship’s hypocrisy and wealth at the expense of the Cuban people.After this guy went after me for recording him in the UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, this violent… https://t.co/T8fmR8RISJ pic.twitter.com/RssyDKAXV3
#BREAKING UN General Assembly ADOPTS resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba Result of the vote:In favor: 130Against: 17Abstain: 25 pic.twitter.com/p4E3XqUpu6
quite the scene at the UN yesterday as tough guy Mike Waltz cuts a WWE promo on the Cuban delegation pic.twitter.com/Efot60LbG0
The UN General Assembly has called for an end to the US embargo on Cuba for the 34th year running, but support has fallen to its lowest level in two decades: 130 in favour, 17 against, 25 abstentions.https://t.co/ZWMSCyPDiG