Annual US Disgrace at the UN

How the State Department responds to the continuing embarrassment of the US at the UN

Department Press Briefing – October 30, 2024

Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson

QUESTION: Well, let’s stay in that region – well, semi-in that region, and so the vote happened today in the UN on the Cuba embargo. Do you know what the vote was?

MR MILLER: Yeah, it was a predictable vote in line with past votes. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yeah. Exactly. But just for the record, let’s say, it was 187 to 2 —

MR MILLER: Yeah.

QUESTION: — with one abstention.

MR MILLER: I am —

QUESTION: And the one abstention wasn’t even a Pacific Island nation. It was Moldova.

MR MILLER: Yeah. I’m aware of the – I’m aware of the long history —

QUESTION: So two.

MR MILLER: — of UN votes on this matter.

QUESTION: So you – yes, okay. So at what point, though, are you guys going to realize that the entire world, with the exception of you and Israel, thinks that the embargo is a really bad idea and should be stopped?

MR MILLER: Look, I think we are quite clear on the opinion of other countries around the world. And it’s one with which we —

QUESTION: So that —

MR MILLER: And it’s one with which we disagree. We take their opinion seriously, but we make our own policy determinations, and —

QUESTION: You do? It’s 32 years in a row with the exception of one year when you guys abstained. That was 2019. And —

MR MILLER: We – look, we take their views quite seriously, but we make our own determinations about these matters.

QUESTION: All right. You know what? Well —

MR MILLER: And we disagree.

QUESTION: Then – you take their views quite seriously? That is not borne out by the facts, that you continue to persist with this.

MR MILLER: We take them seriously, but we make our own decisions on this policy and others. So —

QUESTION: Okay. And are you comfortable, then, with it’s – just once again, it’s just you and Israel standing up.

MR MILLER: Certainly we would welcome other countries sharing our opinion in this. But we’re not blind to the history of countries around the world having a very different view of this matter. It long predates this administration. But as I said, we make our own determinations.

QUESTION: But what about the Obama —

MR MILLER: And with that —

QUESTION: What about the Obama administration disagreement? Were they wrong?

MR MILLER: I don’t have anything to comment on previous administration decisions.

https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-october-30-2024/#post-595289-CUBADEPT

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When the US was serious:

Then Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power announced US abstention on the embargo resolution to wide acclaim https://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2021/05/ambassador-samantha-powers-address-to.html

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My comments to the Chat during the UN Debate on the US Embargo of Cuba.

The General Assembly should find a way to sanction the US for consistently disregarding virtually unanimous international opinion against the embargo and State Sponsor of Terrorism.   

US embargo and SSOT policy discredits its commitment to rules based order and respect for opinion of allies and international opinion. 

Cuba does a good job at condemning the embargo and SSOT, but also needs to take responsibility for its ideological rigidity and fear of a market economy. 

Israel always votes with the US but puts no restrictions on the travel, trade or investment of its people with and in Cuba.  A bit of hypocrisy. 

Good balanced statement by Hungary for EU.  [and by Singapore for ASEAN]

Our newsletter on Cuba crisis is available here https://conta.cc/48myqES  

US Amb to Vietnam Knapper "The United States supports a strong independent prosperous and resilient Viet Nam and we respect each other's sovereignty, territorial integrity and political systems."  

If the US and Cuba followed the example of Vietnam for bilateral relations and economic reform, the problem would be solved.