New York, United States - October 30, 2024 The UN General Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority, demanding that the United States "must end its economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba", first imposed in 1960. A total of 187 countries including China voted in favor of the resolution, the United States and Israel voted against, and Moldova abstained. This is the 32nd consecutive year that the General Assembly has demanded an end to the U.S. blockade against Cuba. After the counting results came out, long and warm applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla pointed out in his speech before the vote that the United States has adopted a blockade policy against Cuba and deliberately strangled the Cuban economy. It is an inhumane economic aggression, which has caused huge obstacles to Cuba's economic development, he said, adding that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it even affected Cuba's purchase of oxygen cylinders and ventilators from foreign countries. Rodriguez said that 80 percent of the population in his country has never known life without the crippling U.S. blockade and the people are suffering every day. The U.S. representative spoke after the vote and said that the United States recognizes the challenges faced by the Cuban people, so it includes exemptions and authorizations for the export of food, medicine and other basic commodities in the sanctions. He claimed that the U.S. sanctions were intended to help the Cuban people pursue human rights. The Cuban representative countered that the U.S. was trying to subvert Cuba's social and economic order and the U.S. manipulated human rights issues abroad, but was rife with police violence and racial discrimination at home, and was not worthy of discussing human rights with Cuba. Shotlist: UN Headquarters, New York City - Oct 30, 2024: 1. UN General Assembly meeting in progress; 2. Delegate pressing voting button; 3. Various of screen showing voting result; 4. Various of result being announced, attendees applauding; 5. Rostrum; 6. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla speaking; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - May 12, 2020 7. White House; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - March 14, 2020 8. Capitol Hill; FILE: Washington D.C., USA - March 14, 2020 9. Various of Capitol building, U.S. national flag; FILE: Havana, Cuba - Oct 2019 10. Aerial shots of cityscape; FILE: Havana, Cuba - 2019 11. Port with Cuban national flags; FILE: Havana, Cuba - March 3, 2018 12. National Capitol building; 13. Cuban national flag; FILE: Havana, Cuba - Date Unknown 14. Various of pedestrians, traffic; FILE: Cuba - Date Unknown 15. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]