UN: For the first time the United States and Israel voted against calling for the lifting of the embargo on Cuba
The UN General Assembly today adopted almost unanimously a resolution in which it called for lifting the embargo that the US imposed on Cuba since 1962.
This resolution is adopted every year by 191 votes. The United States and Israel, two countries that always were in against the decision of the UN General Assembly, this year abstained, development without precedent.
Washington's stance was announced by the American presveftria to the UN, Samantha Powers: "The United States always were in against this resolution today (but) the United States will abstain," explaining that this change in attitude is due to the 'new approach' the government of President Barack Obama against Havana.
This phrase of Powers was greeted with lively applause in the hall where ambassadors of Latin American, Asian and African countries denounced one after another by step the US embargo.
The Samantha Powers stressed that "the Cuban American policy of isolation has not worked": "Rather than isolating Cuba (...) our policies isolated the United States, and here, at the UN," acknowledged.
The abstention of Washington, noted she certainly does not mean that the United States "agree with all the policies and all the Cuban government practices."
"We are very worried," he said, for "serious human rights violations which continue to commit with impunity the Cuban government against its own people," including "arbitrary arrests" of dissidents. However, he acknowledged that the government of Raul Castro has achieved "significant progress in improving welfare of the population", for example in the areas of health and access to education for girls. Even-making once highly unusual placement; the Powers paid tribute to Cuban doctors who went to fight to stop the spread of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, making an "impressive contribution" to efforts for this.
The UN General Assembly approves annually since 1992 a virtually identical resolution, which condemns the American economic embargo imposed for 55 years against Havana.
The USA announced last Friday a new easing of sanctions against Cuba, mainly to facilitate exchanges in the fields of medical research, but also to allow Americans to buy Cuban cigars and rum in larger quantities.
But the White House is not able to lift the embargo, which it can do only the US Congress, where Republicans dominate.
Paul Ryan, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, vowed last week that the American parliament will maintain the embargo defying Obama's measures to revive bilateral relations with the island.
The UN General Assembly today adopted almost unanimously a resolution in which it called for lifting the embargo that the US imposed on Cuba since 1962.
This resolution is adopted every year by 191 votes. The United States and Israel, two countries that always were in against the decision of the UN General Assembly, this year abstained, development without precedent.
Washington's stance was announced by the American presveftria to the UN, Samantha Powers: "The United States always were in against this resolution today (but) the United States will abstain," explaining that this change in attitude is due to the 'new approach' the government of President Barack Obama against Havana.
This phrase of Powers was greeted with lively applause in the hall where ambassadors of Latin American, Asian and African countries denounced one after another by step the US embargo.
The Samantha Powers stressed that "the Cuban American policy of isolation has not worked": "Rather than isolating Cuba (...) our policies isolated the United States, and here, at the UN," acknowledged.
The abstention of Washington, noted she certainly does not mean that the United States "agree with all the policies and all the Cuban government practices."
"We are very worried," he said, for "serious human rights violations which continue to commit with impunity the Cuban government against its own people," including "arbitrary arrests" of dissidents. However, he acknowledged that the government of Raul Castro has achieved "significant progress in improving welfare of the population", for example in the areas of health and access to education for girls. Even-making once highly unusual placement; the Powers paid tribute to Cuban doctors who went to fight to stop the spread of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, making an "impressive contribution" to efforts for this.
The UN General Assembly approves annually since 1992 a virtually identical resolution, which condemns the American economic embargo imposed for 55 years against Havana.
The USA announced last Friday a new easing of sanctions against Cuba, mainly to facilitate exchanges in the fields of medical research, but also to allow Americans to buy Cuban cigars and rum in larger quantities.
But the White House is not able to lift the embargo, which it can do only the US Congress, where Republicans dominate.
Paul Ryan, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, vowed last week that the American parliament will maintain the embargo defying Obama's measures to revive bilateral relations with the island.
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