US votes against removing Cuban embargo for 24th time

The United States has, for the 24th time, voted against the UN Assembly resolution calling for an end to the Cuban embargo despite the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to News24, the resolution, which was adopted for the 24th year in a row and received overwhelming support from 191 of the 193 UN member states, was opposed only by the US and its ally Israel, like previous years.

The reason the US stated for voting against the resolution was that the text did not reflect "the significant steps that have been taken and the spirit of engagement".

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla said, introducing the draft resolution, that text took note of the recent developments and welcomed the new course of US-Cuba relations.

Last year, 188 of the 193 UN member states voted in favour of the resolution to end the Cuba embargo. While Israel and the US voted against it, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau abstained.