Cuba has accused the United States of employing coercive tactics to sway international opinion ahead of a significant United Nations General Assembly vote on the longstanding U.S. trade embargo against the island nation. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez claims that the U.S. is exerting political pressure and threatening economic penalties to influence countries to oppose the resolution, which calls for the embargo’s end.

The upcoming vote, scheduled for October 28, marks the 34th occasion the issue has been brought before the General Assembly. The draft resolution, titled “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba,” addresses recent U.S. restrictions on fuel and energy supply to Cuba, which the Cuban government argues have exacerbated its economic challenges. Rodríguez estimates that the embargo has inflicted more than $178.7 billion in economic losses on Cuba over the past six decades.

Rodríguez alleges that the U.S. government has threatened measures such as sanctions, punitive tariffs, visa restrictions, and the suspension of cooperation programs to dissuade countries from supporting the resolution, framing the vote as a matter of national sovereignty and the right for countries to shape their own foreign policies. This year’s vote follows a similar resolution passed in 2025, which garnered 165 votes in favor, seven against, and 12 abstentions.

In January, then-U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting nations and entities that provide fuel to Cuba, an action that the Cuban government has criticized as an attempt to further strain its economy. The ongoing diplomatic tensions highlight the broader geopolitical dynamics at play as Cuba seeks international support to end the embargo, which it views as a significant barrier to its economic development.