UN again condemns the US embargo on Cuba with its weakest backing in 30 years, after a clash on the floor and the expulsion of a Cuban diplomat
The UN General Assembly again voted to condemn the US economic embargo on Cuba, but more countries than ever sat out after a US lobbying push, giving the resolution its weakest support in about 30 years. During the debate US ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuba's foreign minister clashed at the podium, and the US then expelled a Cuban diplomat.
Left 1 · Centre-left 6 · Centre 3 · Centre-right 7 · Right 3
ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Isolation continues: 'UN votes to condemn embargo of Cuba despite US lobbying push' (Al Jazeera); 'Some countries cave to Trump' (Independent).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Cuba wins UN vote against US embargo with weakest backing in 30 years” (France 24); “UN condemns US economic embargo of Cuba though more nations sit out after Trump administration push” (The Hill).
Right-leaning outlets
Confronting a regime: 'Ambassador Mike Waltz Exposes Castro Family Riches' (Breitbart); 'Shouting match erupts at UN' (Fox News).
Context
The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.
The UN General Assembly has voted each year since 1992 on a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on Cuba.
- The US embargo on Cuba dates from the early 1960s and is set in law by acts including Helms–Burton. United States embargo against Cuba Helms–Burton Act
- General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. UN General Assembly
Checked 2026-10-29. Links were opened and returned a page that day.
Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Left 3
- Euronews
Support for UN vote to end US embargo on Cuba falls to 30-year low - The Independent
Some countries cave to Trump and sit out of UN vote over Cuba embargo for first time in 34 years - Associated Press
UN condemns US economic embargo of Cuba though more nations sit out after Trump administration push (paywalled or blocks bots)
Centre 3
- The Hill
UN condemns US economic embargo of Cuba though more nations sit out after Trump administration push - France 24
Cuba wins UN vote against US embargo with weakest backing in 30 years (paywalled or blocks bots) - Reuters
US sways more countries to oppose UN resolution condemning its Cuba embargo (paywall or login)
Right 3
- Wall Street Journal
U.S. Expels Cuban Diplomat After Extraordinary U.N. Verbal Clash - ITV News
UN condemns US economic embargo of Cuba though some nations sit out after Trump… | ITV News - Washington Times
U.N. condemns Cuban embargo, though more nations sit out after Trump administration push (paywalled or blocks bots)
Showing 3 from each side of 20 rated outlets (L 7 / C 3 / R 10). More coverage
Video
News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.
Left 1
Centre 0
No centre-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.
Showing 1 from each side that has one; none found from the centre.
YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts
Deep dive
The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.
Seen from the left
“Support for UN vote to end US embargo on Cuba falls to 30-year low” Euronews
A possible reading: the embargo punishes ordinary Cubans and the vote shows wide international opposition to it.
May be protecting: sovereignty and ordinary Cubans' living standards.
Seen from the right
“U.S. Expels Cuban Diplomat After Extraordinary U.N. Verbal Clash” Wall Street Journal
A possible reading: pressure on Havana is justified by its human-rights record, and fewer countries backing the resolution reflects that.
May be protecting: pressure on an authoritarian government.
What they agree on
The UN General Assembly again voted to condemn the US embargo on Cuba, but with its weakest support in about 30 years after US lobbying. During the debate Ambassador Mike Waltz and Cuba's foreign minister clashed, and the US then expelled a Cuban diplomat (Wall Street Journal). Both say they care about the welfare of the Cuban people.
Where they truly differ
Whether the embargo or the Cuban government's own choices are mainly to blame for Cubans' hardship.
The paradox
Most nations still oppose the embargo, and fewer than ever are willing to say so.
Open questions
- Which countries changed their vote or abstained this year, and why?
- What reason did the US give for expelling the Cuban diplomat?
- What evidence on who bears the embargo's costs would change each side's view?
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (19 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Star | Left | The Morning Star is owned by the People’s Press Printing Society, a cooperative that readers can join. Revenue is derived through subscription fees, advertising, print sales, and donations. source |
| Al Jazeera | Centre-left | Al Jazeera is owned and funded by the state of Qatar. The founder and Chairman of the Board is Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s ruling family, the House of Thani. According to a Fortune article, i n 2016, state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera laid off 500 workers due to Qatar’s financial troubles resulting from low global prices for oil and natural gas. source |
| Associated Press | Centre-left | The Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source |
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| Euronews | Centre-left | Euronews is owned by Alpac Capital, a Portugal-based investment fund that acquired an 88% stake in July 2022, with the remaining 12% held by government-supported broadcasters from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Ownership also has business ties with Hungary’s Viktor Orban. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| Washington Post | Centre-left | In 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source |
| France 24 | Centre | France 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| ITV News | Centre-right | No ownership data found |
| New York Post | Centre-right | The New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which owns many conservative/sensational media outlets worldwide. The paper is funded through advertising, subscriptions, and newsstand sales. source |
| Newsweek | Centre-right | Newsweek is owned by Newsweek Publishing LLC, which is co-owned by Dev Pragad and Johnathan Davis. Newsweek is funded through a paid subscription and advertising model. source |
| The Times | Centre-right | The Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source |
| Wall Street Journal | Centre-right | In 2007, The Bancroft family and relatives sold the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch for 5 billion dollars. Rupert Murdoch also purchased its parent company, Dow Jones & Co., through News Corporation. Subscriptions and advertising fund the Wall Street Journal. source |
| Washington Examiner | Centre-right | The Washington Examiner is owned by Clarity Media Group, owned by Philip Anschutz, an American billionaire entrepreneur who describes himself as a “conservative Christian.” Anschutz is also the owner of the right-leaning Weekly Standard and has donated millions of dollars to right-leaning causes, including anti-LGBT groups, such as the Family Research Council, which has been labeled a hate group. source |
| Washington Times | Centre-right | Operations Holdings Inc is the Washington Times owner, owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, through their holding company HSA-UWC (Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity). In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded this religious movement in South Korea, known for its mass weddings, and its members are referred to as “Moonies.” source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |
| Fox News | Right | Rupert Murdoch is the owner and a board member of News Corp 21st Century Fox. According to Reuters, James Murdoch (son) was chief executive of 21st Century Fox and left in May 2018. L achlan (the other son of Murdoch) and Rupert Murdoch will serve as the new Fox co-chairman. source |
Social pulse
This is a signal of what people are discussing, not evidence of what happened. We don't rate the bias of social media posts.
X: 1,166 posts matching “Cuba embargo (UN OR Waltz) -is:retweet”
AI-generated summary of X posts, written by X. Not verified fact.
U.S. Ambassador Waltz Faces Cuban Clash at UN Over Embargo
During a General Assembly debate on the U.S. embargo against Cuba, Ambassador Mike Waltz accused the Castro regime of hoarding luxuries like Rolexes and a private island while citizens face shortages. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and others pounded tables and approached the podium, prompting Waltz to declare, 'Back away. This isn’t Havana. You’re not gonna intimidate me.' The U.S. expelled a Cuban diplomat for shoving, and the annual anti-embargo resolution passed with a weaker 130-17 vote as countries like Germany and Italy shifted to abstentions.
Updated 29 Oct 02:08 UK time · View on X