Will the US Finally Lift the Curtain: UN Demands End to Cuba Sanctions, But Will the Next President Listen

Residents stand on a road blocked from entering during a protest against the power outage in Havana, Cuba, on the 19th (local time). Reuters Yonhap News

The United Nations again passed a resolution calling for an end to U.S. sanctions against Cuba. The fate of Cuba, which has been in serious economic difficulties due to economic sanctions from the United States for 64 years, is at another watershed ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

The United Nations issued a press release on the 30th (local time) and announced that it had passed a resolution with 187 votes in favor, 2 against, and 1 abstention, stating that the economic, commercial, and financial sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba should be ended.

The countries that voted against it were the United States and Israel. Moldova, a pro-American Eastern European country, abstained.

The UN said, “In the meantime, the UN General Assembly has once again urged the world to refrain from promulgating or applying laws that take restrictive measures (against other countries) in accordance with the UN Charter,” and added, “With this resolution, the sovereignty of countries is equal, non-interference in their internal affairs, international “(The whole world) reaffirmed principles such as freedom of trade and navigation,” he explained.

This year marks the 32nd time since 1992 that the United Nations has adopted a resolution urging the United States to ease sanctions against Cuba. Resolutions are not legally binding, but reflect public opinion in the international community.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged the UN General Assembly to vote in favor of the resolution before it was voted on. He also complained that the recent power outage in his country was due to pressure from the U.S. government, which blocked fuel imports from Cuba.

The United States has been imposing a high-intensity economic blockade on Cuba since 1960 after the Fidel Castro government, which came to power through the Cuban Revolution, nationalized American companies and citizens’ assets. Cuba is virtually isolated from the international community due to restrictions on activities such as trade and financial transactions.

While funds are drying up, Cuban citizens are suffering from famine and lack of daily necessities. This month, there was a power outage for a week due to a shortage of oil used in thermal power plants, and Hurricane Oscar hit the eastern part of the country, resulting in casualties and property damage.

The relationship between the United States and Cuba is expected to develop in a different direction depending on the results of the presidential election held on the 5th of next month. Former U.S. President Barack Obama entered ‘thaw mode’ after meeting with then-Cuban President Raul Castro during his term in office in 2015. However, the following year, when President Donald Trump took office, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba again.

Argentine President Javier Millay, who is pro-American and right-wing, dismissed Foreign Minister Diana Mondino after his country’s UN ambassador voted in favor of a motion calling for an end to sanctions against Cuba. President Millay’s office announced on this day that Ambassador to the United States Gerardo Bertain would serve as acting foreign minister and that he was “firmly opposed to the Cuban dictatorship.”

The Associated Press reported that Minister Mondino played a key role in establishing smooth diplomatic relations with countries such as Brazil and China, contrary to President Millay’s tendencies so far.

The Millay administration strengthened sanctions against Cuba, including cutting off fuel supplies to the Cuban airline Cubana earlier this year.