In Annual Ritual, U.N. Condemns U.S. Embargo on Cuba

The U.N. General Assembly voted to condemn the economic and trade embargoes the United States has levied against Cuba since 1962, The Guardian reported Wednesday afternoon. Last year, 185 member nations voted for a resolution demanding an end to the embargo, with only Israel and Palau casting ballots against it.

Denouncing U.S. policy toward Cuba has become an annual ritual in the assembly, but this year is expected to carry additional weight because the Obama administration has taken a few hesitant steps toward thawing U.S.-Cuban relations. During his campaign, President Obama opposed the embargo, but since taking office has only been willing to ease travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans. The punitive economic sanctions, originally intended to choke communist rule, remain in place.

Cuba says the embargo amounts to "economic warfare." Even close American allies such as Great Britain denounce the policy as a Cold War holdover that is inconsistent with the broader trade practices of the U.S., including its robust trade with undemocratic nations such as China and Vietnam.