Published Friday, 30 October, 9:39 a.m. ET (2:39 p.m. Rome) · Source: Italian Foreign Ministry, UN General Assembly voting results
Rome has stepped back from Havana at the United Nations, and it explained why in plain view. On Wednesday, 28 October, Italy abstained in the annual United Nations General Assembly vote on ending the US embargo on Cuba, part of the widening Cuba-US tensions.
The assembly still passed the resolution by 130 votes to 17, with 25 abstentions. Italy’s foreign ministry, known as the Farnesina, then said Havana’s own decisions are behind its crisis, a story we follow in our Cuba news hub.
Key Facts
- What happened: Italy abstained on 28 October in the UN vote on ending the US embargo on Cuba.
- The numbers: 130 votes for, 17 against, 25 abstentions, down from 165 yes votes in 2025.
- What Italy said: Reforms in Cuba are not arriving, and Havana’s decisions drive the current crisis.
- Prediction markets: Polymarket, a US prediction market, prices a US strike on Cuba by 31 December at 8.5% (US$5.5 million traded, 30 October, 9:35 a.m. ET).
This story is part of our coverage of the cuba news. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
In plain English
Every year the UN General Assembly, where each member state has one vote, votes on a resolution asking the United States to end its trade embargo on Cuba. The vote is symbolic because it cannot force Washington to act, but it shows how much of the world still sides with Havana. Italy, a US ally, used to vote yes.
Why Italy Stepped Back
Italy’s foreign ministry said the embargo has negative economic and humanitarian effects on ordinary Cubans, and that lifting it could make economic reforms more effective. In the same statement it said reforms are not arriving, and that decisions by the Cuban authorities are the cause of the current crisis.
Rome asked Havana to carry out quickly the 176 economic and social measures its government adopted in June. It also voiced concern about human rights since the protests of 11 July 2021 and urged the release of political prisoners.
The third reason was Russia. The ministry said Cuba’s stance on Moscow’s war in Ukraine is at odds with the UN Charter, the body’s founding treaty, and it linked that to Cuba’s vote against a General Assembly resolution of 24 February 2026 that called for a ceasefire.
Why Washington Is Pleased
The 2026 tally is 35 yes votes lower than in 2025, when the resolution won 165 votes for, 7 against and 12 abstentions. The Trump administration lobbied for more no votes and abstentions.
Italy joined Germany and Latvia, among others, in sitting out the vote. It was the first time in 34 years that Italy and other Western countries did so, but the resolution still passed, for the 34th time.
What It Means for US Readers
The signal is diplomatic, not legal. A US ally that once backed Cuba’s side now blames Havana openly, which strengthens the case Washington has made at the UN.
The embargo itself does not change, because the resolution carries no legal force. For earlier reactions, see our reports on Chile’s abstention and the 130-17 vote.
What Is Not Known
The Farnesina statement does not say what talks with Washington, Brussels or Havana came before the decision. It also does not rank its reasons.
We found no official Cuban reply yet.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a US-based prediction market, traders price a US military strike on Cuba by 31 December at 8.5%, and an invasion in 2026 at 5.5%. The strike market has traded US$5.5 million, and prices were read on 30 October at 9:35 a.m. ET. These prices are wagers, not polls.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Italy abstain in the UN vote on the Cuba embargo?
Italy said Cuba’s reforms are not arriving, and it criticised political prisoners, human rights and Havana’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine. It still said the embargo harms ordinary Cubans.
Does the UN vote change the US embargo on Cuba?
No. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, so the embargo stays in place unless the United States changes it.
Sources: Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement of 28-29 October 2026 (esteri.it); UN General Assembly voting record, 28 October 2026; Polymarket market data, 30 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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