Despite what appears to be efforts by the Obama administration to negotiate with Cuba over softening the language of the UN resolution condemning the US resolution against Cuba, US administration officials have said they must oppose the resolution because its current form doesn’t “fully reflect” the new spirit of engagement between the countries.
The US has historically lost the votes by an overwhelming margin. Last year, the voting tally was 188-2 with only Israel siding with the US.
“Regrettably the resolution tabled looks very similar to resolutions from previous years, and doesn’t appear to fully reflect the spirit of engagement that President Obama has championed as the best way to advance our shared interests with Cuba,” a US official familiar with the text told the AP on Wednesday.
With five days remaining before Cuba submits the resolution condemning the US embargo, there is a possibility of a negotiated compromise that would allow to US to abstain from this year’s vote.
