Jamaica Lawmakers to Talk on Cuba Vote Row

JAMAICA · POLITICS

Published Sunday, 8 November, 3:05 p.m. ET · Source: Parliament of Jamaica proceedings; statements by the Government and the Opposition

Jamaica’s Opposition business leader has accepted an invitation to meet the House Speaker and the Government on Monday 9 November, six days after an uproar in Parliament. The row is over the island’s decision not to back a UN vote against the US embargo on Cuba.

On Tuesday 3 November the Government cut short a debate on a motion to censure it, and the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Parliament, ended in disorder. For US readers, it shows how a vote on Washington’s Cuba embargo can become a domestic fight in a Caribbean parliament.

What Led to the Row

On Tuesday 27 October, Parliament passed a motion on Cuba’s economic and humanitarian situation. The next day, Wednesday 28 October, Jamaica abstained in the UN General Assembly on the annual resolution calling for an end to the US embargo.

Jamaica had voted yes on the resolution for more than 30 years, and the Opposition and Government agree the abstention was new. The resolution passed with 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions.

Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith has said Jamaica still opposes unilateral actions against Cuba but that repeating the resolution each year without improvement deepens the humanitarian crisis. She has acknowledged that the abstention was a shift in policy.

The Opposition, led in Parliament by the People’s National Party, says the Government did not tell the House during the 27 October debate that a change was coming. Its censure motion, moved by MP Anthony Hylton, accuses the Government, run by the Jamaica Labour Party, of misleading the House and asks for an apology.

How the Debate Was Cut Short

On Tuesday 3 November, Floyd Green, the Leader of Government Business, moved to suspend the House rules so the censure motion could be debated at once. Hylton opened the debate and Green replied, and Green then moved to close it before other Opposition members could speak.

The Opposition objected under Standing Order 38(2), the rule against closing a debate in a way that oppresses the minority. Opposition leader Mark Golding called for a formal vote (a division), but none was taken amid the disorder and the sitting was adjourned with the motion unfinished.

After the sitting, Opposition MP Mikael Phillips and Government MP Desmond McKenzie clashed in the chamber. Robert Nesta Morgan, the Deputy Leader of Government Business, said Phillips swore at McKenzie, while Phillips has apologised for his reaction and says McKenzie insulted his late mother.

What Is on the Table for Monday

Phillip Paulwell, the Leader of Opposition Business, accepted an invitation to meet Speaker Holness and Green on Monday 9 November at 10 a.m. local time. In his reply he said the tone of her letter could undermine efforts to resolve the dispute, and he accused her of acting in the Government’s interest.

Paulwell said he hoped the meeting would be a frank and constructive dialogue among equals. He added that a lasting settlement might need the prime minister, the Opposition leader or an independent mediator.

What Prediction Markets Say

Polymarket, a prediction market, prices at about 6% (a bet, not a poll) the chance that the United States and Cuba strike an economic deal by 31 December. The market has US$447,367 traded across all its outcomes, US$35,495 of it on the 31 December date.

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.

What It Means for You

The UN resolution is not binding, and the US embargo on Cuba stays in force whatever Jamaica’s vote. The fight in Kingston is about honesty and procedure in the House, and the Opposition says it is about accountability.

Readers who follow US–Caribbean relations should watch whether Washington comments on the abstention. We did not find an official US reaction by 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

What Is Not Known

We do not know what the Monday meeting will produce or when the censure debate will resume. The Government has not said whether it will give the apology the Opposition demands, and the two sides dispute what happened after the sitting.

The Speaker’s letter has not been made public. The Government’s answer to Paulwell’s criticism of her is also not yet public.

More: Who shapes Jamaica’s economy and politics; Chile also abstains on the Cuba vote; Jamaica explained for newcomers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Jamaica abstain on the UN Cuba vote?

Foreign Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said Jamaica opposes unilateral actions against Cuba. She said repeating the resolution each year without improvement deepens the humanitarian crisis.

What is a censure motion?

A censure motion is a formal vote of disapproval of the Government. This one accuses it of misleading the House and asks for an apology.

Does the Jamaican row change the US embargo on Cuba?

No. The UN resolution is not binding, and the embargo stays in force.

Sources: Parliament of Jamaica, House of Representatives sitting of 3 November 2026 (japarliament.gov.jm); UN General Assembly vote of 28 October 2026 (UN meetings coverage); statements by the Jamaican Government and Opposition, 30 October to 6 November 2026; Polymarket, read 8 November 2026 (polymarket.com).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error