Left: George W. Bush, U.S. president.   Right: Fidel Castro, president of Cuba.

UNITED NATIONS, New York (Reuters):

The United Nations General Assembly told the United States yesterday to lift its four-decade-old trade embargo against Cuba in a resolution adopted for the 15th consecutive year with near unanimous support.

The vote was a record 183 to four with one abstention on a resolution submitted by South Africa. It called on Washington to lift its "economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba," particularly provisions affecting foreign nationals.

Voting "no" with the United States were Israel, Marshall Islands and Palau. Micronesia abstained. Nicaragua and Iraq did not vote.

No to amendment

Australia attempted to amend the document by adding a paragraph saying that the U.S. measures were motivated by "valid concerns" about the lack of freedom in Cuba and called on Havana to release political prisoners.

This fared a bit better, but still was defeated by 126 to 51 and five abstentions. The European Union supported the Australian human rights amendment but voted for the resolution on lifting the embargo because of U.S. regulations that punish foreign firms, said Ambassador Kirsti Lintonen of Finland.

The measure is non-binding and has had no impact on the U.S. The Bush administration has tightened the embargo, including restrictions on visits to Cuba, travel and remittances to families.

Economic war

Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told the assembly the U.S. embargo prevented Havana from getting even modest credits from the World Bank and other institutions, prevented Cuba's trade with subsidiaries of U.S. corporations abroad and barred foreign businessmen from the United States if they invested in Cuba.

"The economic war unleashed by the U.S. against Cuba, the longest and most ruthless ever known, qualifies as an act of genocide and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law," Perez Roque said.

But U.S. envoy, Ambassador Ronald Godard, said the embargo was a bilateral issue between the United States and Cuba and not a matter for the General Assembly.