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UN condemns U.S. embargo of Cuba

It was the Assembly's first vote on the matter since the start of normalization of relations between the two countries.

By Ed Adamczyk
The United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. embargo of Cuba on October 27, 2015. Photo by Monika Graff/UPI
The United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. embargo of Cuba on October 27, 2015. Photo by Monika Graff/UPI | License Photo

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned the U.S. embargo of Cuba Tuesday in its first vote on the matter since the start of normalization of relations between the two countries.

The largely symbolic tally on the unenforceable resolution was 191 to 2, with only Israel and the United States supporting the embargo. Unlike as in past votes on the embargo, there were no abstentions of the vote.

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In a statement, the U.S. mission to the UN said the resolution did not consider the "significant steps in the spirit of engagement" the United States has taken since December 2014, when President Barack Obama announced Washington and Havana would normalize diplomatic relations. Each country reopened its embassy in the other in August, and Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro met for discussions in September. The United States has liberalized trade and travel restrictions to Cuba since the 2014 announcement.. The statement also mentioned the United States' disappointment that Cuba presented a resolution identical to those in prior years.

Obama has expressed opposition to the 54 year-old embargo, which can only be repealed by Congress.

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