Some countries cave to Trump and sit out of UN vote over Cuba embargo for first time in 34 years

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to condemn the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba on Wednesday but some countries sat out of the vote for the first time in 34 years after pressure from the Trump administration.Wednesday’s vote was 130-17, with 25 abstentions. The vote last year was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Germany, Italy and Latvia were among Western countries that abstained for the first time in 34 years.Lithuania, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates broke from their historic position by voting against the resolution. Costa Rica, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Honduras and Chile, which have traditionally backed Cuba’s efforts, opposed the resolution or abstained.Washington's campaign to influence the outcome was attributed as the reason a number of countries voted against the resolution or sat out for the first time. It is not legally binding, but such votes reflect world opinion.The vote came as Cuba endures deepening financial crises while the U.S. increases its already punishing economic campaign. Trump once again raised the specter of U.S. military intervention last week, saying U.S. warships could stop over in Cuba on their way back from the Iran war.Mike Waltz’s shouting match with Cuban officialsTensions between Washington and Havana have spilled over into public forums at the United Nations. On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez found themselves in a shouting match on the floor of the General Assembly while debating the embargo resolution.Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, speaks at U.N. headquarters on Wednesday, a day after he got into a shouting match with Cuban officials (AP)Shortly after Waltz had begun his criticism of the socialist government, Rodríguez walked down to the podium where the U.S. envoy was addressing the hall and called him a liar while trying to get a point of order from the official presiding over the session.“This individual needs to back away from this podium. He’s not going to intimidate me in the United States of America,” Waltz said as U.N. security and personnel tried to intervene. "You understand who you’re dealing with? This is America. Back up.”In a post on X, Rodríguez reminded Waltz where he was making his remarks, saying he's at the U.N., not at a national security meeting at the White House.“With his crude lies at the UN General Assembly, the U.S. government has launched another desperate attempt to justify its economic aggression against Cuba and its criminal energy blockade,” he continued.A week earlier, a similar interaction between Waltz and his Cuban counterpart, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, took place outside a U.S.-hosted panel with Cuban dissidents and former prisoners that sought to highlight allegations of the oppressive behavior of the island's government.The episodes reflect a clear break from the traditional diplomatic decorum expected at the U.N. and the new phase of contentiousness between the U.S. and Cuba.The U.S. embargo against Cuba was first imposed in 1960 after Fidel Castro led a revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista and nationalized properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations.As a result, the Caribbean country has spent decades facing the dire impact of longtime economic and financial troubles.It is now being pushed to a breaking point after Trump announced in late January that he would impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.The warning has effectively cut off fuel to the island, leading to widespread power outages that affect basic activities such as cooking, the water supply and internet and telephone services.