For the first time in history, Argentina voted against a United Nations resolution calling to end the United States decades-long embargo on Cuba. The move, a 180-degree turn in Argentina’s diplomatic stance, is another sign of President Milei’s unconditional support for the U.S. amid the full-scale bailout his government received from the Donald Trump administration.
Argentina was one of only seven countries that backed the embargo, alongside Hungary, Israel, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Ukraine, and the United States. The UN assembly adopted the resolution by an overwhelming majority of 165 in favor and 12 abstentions. Despite the numbers, this year’s vote showed a slight increase in support for the embargo, as it had been nearly unanimous in previous years.
How did Argentina vote in 2024 In 2024, the U.S. and Israel had been the only two of the assembly’s 193 members to vote against the resolution, with the Republic of Moldova abstaining. At the time, Argentina’s vote in favor of the resolution led to a crisis within President Javier Milei’s government and the departure of former Foreign Minister Diana Mondino.
Argentina’s decision last year came as a surprise due to Milei’s stern geopolitical alignment with the U.S. government. In addition to firing Mondino, Milei also removed Ricardo Lagorio, the Argentine representative before the UN who cast the vote.
Mondino was replaced by Gerardo Werthein, who lasted less than a year as foreign minister. He recently resigned amid alleged differences with the administration, and Pablo Quirno took his place.
Quirno was formally appointed on Monday, and appears to have decided to begin his functions by doubling down on U.S. support, in line with Milei’s wishes.
The decision could have geopolitical repercussions for Argentina. Namely, it could affect its sovereignty claim over the Malvinas islands, which has been the main issue in Argentina’s agenda in the UN for decades, as it counts on the support of many countries that also back the lifting of the embargo.
This was the 33rd time the UN assembly has cast a vote and issued a resolution calling for an end to the embargo. Every time, until now, Argentina has voted in favor of the resolution, regardless of the political identities of the ruling presidents.
*Editorial disclaimer: Although the UK refers to the territory as the “Falklands Islands,” Argentina strongly contests this name. The Buenos Aires Herald uses “Malvinas” to refer to the islands.