US continuing embargo against Cuba a travesty of global justice

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted by a large margin against the United States' economic and trade embargo against Cuba, first imposed in 1960. A total of 187 countries voted for the resolution against the embargo, with only the US and Israel voting against, and Ukraine abstaining.

Given the formal name of the resolution, "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba", even the most glib talker cannot deny the yearly Cuba resolutions have been one of the most humiliating diplomatic experiences for Washington.

The UN General Assembly has urged the US to end its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba, because it's illegal, unreasonable and inhuman. This is the 31st consecutive time that the UN General Assembly has adopted such a resolution. Even US allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea voted in favor of the resolution.

By voting against the resolution, Israel can be seen as returning the favor to the US for supporting Israel's pounding of the Gaza Strip in "self-defense" after the Oct 7 Hamas attack in southern and central Israel. An overwhelming majority of the international community has been calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine.

As for Ukraine, its decision to abstain from voting was apparently influenced by other factors. No matter how much the US supports it in its conflict with Russia, Ukraine is still embarrassed to side with the US on its unreasonable embargo against Cuba. In fact, before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Kyiv had been condemning Washington for imposing sanctions on Cuba.

The US' sanctions against Cuba seriously undermine the rights to survival and development of the people of Cuba, run counter to international law and thwarts the efforts of all countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the UN.

The UN General Assembly resolution represents the just call of the international community and must be implemented. Leaders of many Latin American countries have criticized the US, calling its illegal blockade of Cuba an "affront to humanity".Yet even the resolution and the global criticism may not prompt US politicians to differentiate right from wrong, humanity from apathy, let alone prevent them from continuing to defy world opinion.