U.S. fuel restrictions announced in January interrupted oil supplies and aggravated Cuba’s shortages and blackouts. At the UN, Waltz denied that a blockade existed and urged members to reject Cuba’s resolution, while Cuban officials called the restrictions collective punishment; a shouting dispute between Waltz and Rodríguez briefly suspended the debate. On Oct. 28, the General Assembly adopted the nonbinding resolution by 130 votes to 17, with 25 abstentions, down from 165 votes in favor in 2025; Díaz-Canel called the outcome a victory, while Waltz said countries had shifted positions.
Summary written by our automated pipeline from the outlets' reporting. How it works
Grouped by where each speaker is from. Quotation marks are the speaker's own words; other lines are our summaries.
Trump threatened that Cuba was next.
Our summary of CGTN
Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba.
Our summary of Clarín, via Associated Press
“This is the United Nations. This isn't your communist dictatorship. You cannot silence me”
Quoted in The Hindu · also 1 other outlet
The United States denies that a blockade exists against Cuba.
Our summary of Clarín · also 1 other outlet · long-held position
Cuba's draft resolution calls on Washington to end the embargo on the island.
Our summary of Clarín
“The world has once again spoken out overwhelmingly against the blockade, despite the most blatant pressure and blackmail by the U.S. to change the course of this vote”
Quoted in teleSUR English, via EFE · also 1 other outlet
“Cuba is not a threat. The blockade is a threat”
Quoted in PBS NewsHour, via Associated Press · also 2 other outlets
The Cuban ambassador says the meeting is contrary to the rules governing use of UN facilities.
Our summary of Clarín
“…contraria a las normas que regulan el uso de las instalaciones de la organización internacional”
Machine translation: “…contrary to the rules governing the use of the facilities of the international organization”
Points where outlets or parties give conflicting facts or readings. Each side is summarised by our pipeline; its sources are listed under it.
Waltz said Cuba’s crisis was the fault of its own government, not the embargo.
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of UN News
Cuban officials said U.S. sanctions stymied Cuba’s economic opening; reports link fuel restrictions to worsened shortages and disruption across sectors.
Cuban officials call the fuel and energy restrictions a blockade and describe them as an act of war and collective punishment.
Cuba · our summary of teleSUR English, via Reuters
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín, via NBC News
The United States cites human-rights abuses and Cuba’s support for hostile countries as grounds for sanctions.
United States · our summary of Yonhap News Agency
Rodríguez said there was no justification for what he called collective punishment of the Cuban people.
Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Xinhua
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín
“No hay pretexto para sostener el acto de castigo colectivo al que someten al pueblo cubano”
Machine translation: “There is no pretext for maintaining the act of collective punishment to which they are subjecting the Cuban people.”
Díaz-Canel called the result a victory for the Cuban people and a triumph of truth.
“…who refuse to surrender in the face of economic strangulation, threats and abuses by the U.S. government”
“…is a triumph of the truth over those who rely on lies and blackmail to subject an entire nation to collective punishment”
Waltz characterized a vote for the resolution as enabling a propaganda victory for Cuba’s government at the Cuban people’s expense.
“…your vote today is the only thing standing between the corrupt, kleptocratic communist regime and using this body and your vote for another propaganda victory at the expense of…”
Rodríguez accused Washington of coercing countries through threats and other measures to change their votes.
Waltz called Cuba’s allegation of U.S. threats a lie and accused Cuba of threatening countries instead.
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
“El régimen ha recurrido a una mentira absoluta y rotunda al afirmar que Estados Unidos está amenazando a los países con represalias por su voto”
Machine translation: “The regime has resorted to an absolute and utter lie by claiming that the United States is threatening countries with reprisals for their vote”
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
“Son ellos quienes están amenazando a los países con represalias por este voto”
Machine translation: “They are the ones threatening countries with reprisals for this vote”
The United States declared a national emergency over an alleged Cuban threat to its national security.
Our summary of RIA Novosti
Waltz’s invitation framed the event as exposing oppression in Cuba.
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
Soberón said the event was intended to weaken support for the resolution and exploit human-rights concerns against Cuba’s sovereignty.
Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuban ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuban ambassador to the UN · our summary of teleSUR English
Waltz criticized Cuba’s government over repression and alleged corruption.
Díaz-Canel characterized Waltz’s accusations against the Cuban government as unfounded.
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of teleSUR English, via EFE
Waltz urged member states to reject the resolution.
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
“No contribuyan con sus votos al maltrato del pueblo cubano”
Machine translation: “Do not contribute to the mistreatment of the Cuban people with your votes”
Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín
Rodríguez expected majority support, and former CARICOM leaders urged states to vote in favor.
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín
Former Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Former Caribbean leaders · our summary of teleSUR English
Reactions from other countries and bodies, others involved, and commentary.
“The illegal economic embargo and unilateral economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. against Cuba have lasted for 64 years”
Quoted in China Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“…the international community's near-unanimous and resolute condemnation of the illegal and inhumane embargo against Havana”
Quoted in Xinhua
Nicaragua will vote faithfully and consistently with the Cuban people, as represented in the resolution demanding an end to all forms of aggression and blockades against Cuba.
Our summary of Clarín, via EFE
The PSUV calls for urgent joint action by Latin American and Caribbean nations to demand an immediate end to the siege of the island.
Our summary of Clarín
Assembly President Khalilur Rahman threatened to suspend the session.
Our summary of Clarín
The resolution expresses concern about the continued promulgation and application of laws and regulations, including the Helms-Burton Act.
Our summary of Global Times · also 2 other outlets
Cuban exile hardliners have backed the Trump administration's actions as creating conditions they consider ripe for regime change.
Our summary of The Hindu, via International Crisis Group
The former leaders describe US sanctions against Cuba as contrary to international law and the fundamental principles of coexistence between peoples.
Our summary of teleSUR English
The draft resolution calls on all States to refrain from adopting such measures and urges those that still apply them to repeal them.
Our summary of UN News
Bustamante said the sanctions had made life unbearable for many ordinary people but had not yet caused a political turning point in Cuba.
Our summary of BBC News
On Jan. 29, Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to Cuba.
Sources: RIA Novosti
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on 29 January allowing tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to Cuba.
On Oct. 19, the U.S. Mission to the UN held an event at UN headquarters in New York with Cuban dissidents and former political prisoners.
Sources: Clarín
Rodríguez said the US ambassador to the UN attacked Cuba on UN premises in a 'lying spectacle' true to form.
“En espectáculo mendaz, fiel a su imagen y semejanza, el embajador de EEUU ante la ONU arremetió contra Cuba en los predios de la ONU”
Machine translation: “In a mendacious spectacle, true to his own image and likeness, the U.S. ambassador to the UN attacked Cuba on UN premises”
On Oct. 21, Rodríguez accused the United States of pressuring UN member states to change their votes.
Sources: Clarín
Rodríguez denounced extreme and unprecedented US pressure on several UN member states to change their votes on the embargo resolution.
On Oct. 27, Waltz and Rodríguez clashed during the General Assembly debate, and the chair briefly suspended the session.
Cuba's foreign minister and the US ambassador to the UN argued on Tuesday during a United Nations General Assembly session.
The argument concerned the US embargo on Cuba.
The chair briefly suspended the session.
On Oct. 28, Rodríguez addressed the General Assembly before the vote on the resolution.
Sources: RIA Novosti
Respectful relations and cooperation with the United States would benefit the Cuban people.
“Мы убеждены, что уважительные отношения и сотрудничество с Соединенными Штатами были бы выгодны народу Кубы”
Machine translation: “We are convinced that respectful relations and cooperation with the United States would benefit the people of Cuba”
Establishing respectful, cooperation-based relations with the United States would serve the interests of both countries.
On Oct. 28, the General Assembly adopted Cuba’s resolution with 130 votes in favor, 17 against and 25 abstentions.
Sources: Xinhua
On Oct. 28, Díaz-Canel called the resolution’s approval a victory for the Cuban people.
Sources: teleSUR English (via EFE) · Xinhua
“…who refuse to surrender in the face of economic strangulation, threats and abuses by the U.S. government”
Diaz-Canel describes the resolution's broad backing as a victory for the heroic Cuban people.
Each outlet's headline, linked to its article. Non-English headlines are machine-translated. The groupings and notes on what each outlet emphasises are automated.
None of our outlets is based in Cuba or Nicaragua.
Written by our automated pipeline from the statements in the coverage; each point lists the statements it rests on.
Reports link fuel restrictions to interrupted oil supplies, prolonged blackouts and disruption to electricity generation, transport, food production, health care and education. They also describe failing infrastructure and internal and external causes of Cuba’s wider economic crisis. University of Miami scholar Mike Bustamante said the sanctions had made life unbearable for many ordinary people but had not produced a political turning point; Cuban exile hardliners backed the administration’s actions because they considered conditions ripe for regime change.
Our summary of Clarín, via EFE
Our summary of RIA Novosti
Our summary of Clarín
Our summary of The Guardian
Rodríguez said the restrictions caused more than $22.9 million in damage in one day, cited shortages of 70% of medicines on Cuba’s basic list and about 100,000 people awaiting surgery, including 12,000 children, and called the measures an act of war, collective punishment and genocide. He asked that Cuba be left in peace and said respectful cooperation with the United States would benefit both countries and the region. Cuban officials put accumulated losses from the broader U.S. blockade at more than $178.7 billion over more than six decades.
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of teleSUR English, via EFE
“The U.S. blockade is an act of war, collective punishment, and genocide”
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of teleSUR English, via EFE
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of teleSUR English, via EFE
The resolution calls for an end to the U.S. embargo and urges states to refrain from applying similar measures or repeal them. The Assembly adopted it for the 34th consecutive time, but support fell from 165 votes in 2025 to 130 in 2026; the Associated Press reported that Washington’s campaign led some countries to vote against it or be absent, and Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained for the first time in 34 years.
Cuba · our summary of Clarín
Cuba · our summary of Clarín
Our summary of RIA Novosti
Our summary of Xinhua
Rodríguez accused Washington of coercing governments through tariff and sanctions threats, cancelled cooperation programs, visa denials and threats of electoral interference and coups. He said he had documents showing efforts to influence votes and alleged an unnamed Latin American country was being used as a front. Waltz called Cuba’s allegation of U.S. threats a lie and accused Cuba of threatening countries instead.
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín
Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of teleSUR English
Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba's foreign minister · our summary of Clarín
China said it would vote for Cuba’s resolution and that Cuba’s future should be decided by Cubans. Nicaragua and former CARICOM leaders urged support, while Russia’s Maria Zakharova said opposition involved more than voting and Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned pressure on states. UN human-rights officials and independent experts have condemned the embargo and other unilateral U.S. sanctions.
Fu Cong, Chinese ambassador to the UN · our summary of Global Times
Fu Cong, Chinese ambassador to the UN · our summary of Global Times
Jaime Hermida, Nicaragua's ambassador to the UN · our summary of Clarín, via EFE
Former Heads of State and Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Former Caribbean leaders · our summary of teleSUR English
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