In what at first appeared to be a shift in diplomatic posture, Grenada—joining Trinidad and Tobago—abstained from voting on a procedural motion at the 99th Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday for an additional debate on a resolution on ending the US economic embargo on Cuba.

The two Caribbean neighbours were among 30 nations that abstained from voting on the motion, which passed with 136 votes in favour and nine against. 

CARICOM’s vote on the procedural motion was mixed. 

Apart from those who abstained, the majority of member states voted in favour of moving forward with the debate, except for Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, which skipped the vote entirely.

But when CARICOM delivered its position to the General Assembly, there was consensus. 

Haiti’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Pierre Ericq Pierre, delivered a statement on behalf of “14 member states of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM.”

As he noted the growing humanitarian crisis, Pierre set the tone when he referred to the worsening effects of the embargo on the “CARICOM citizens working and living in Cuba after years of active cooperation,” while explaining that “the Caribbean area is united by geography, history, common vulnerabilities, as well as by a longstanding spirit of solidarity and cooperation.”

Caribbean leaders themselves are also trying to avoid strained diplomatic and economic relationships with the United States.

“CARICOM is participating in today’s debate as a longstanding friend of Cuba and of the United States,” he made it clear as he advocated for “constructive dialogue and peaceful involvement,” for the talks to continue “in good faith with a sense of urgency” in order to “alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people,” Pierre told the General Assembly on Tuesday.

But it did not stop there. CARICOM went one step further to call out the Cuban government, saying it “respectfully calls upon the Cuban authorities to implement measures that will contribute to alleviating the difficulties that the Cuban people are facing, and we are prepared to play a role to bring the parties together.”

“We reaffirm the principle according to which the Caribbean must be an area free of war and conflict, and it’s in that spirit that we remain convinced,” Pierre said, as CARICOM successfully balanced its relations with both Cuba and the USA.

Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago were among several longtime allies and international partners who chose to withhold their support for the resolution by abstaining from the vote. 

Most notable among them were Bolivia, Ecuador, Canada, and Germany.

The UN General Assembly debate on the “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” was completed on October 28–29, 2025 and a resolution to end the embargo,  was passed with 165 in favour, seven against, and 12 abstentions. 

The numbers in favour have since decreased, based on Tuesday’s vote, when  Cuba sought an additional debate, given the worsening humanitarian concerns and daily blackouts across the island.

 While there is a slight increase in the numbers against, the number of nations abstaining from voting on the resolution against the embargo more than doubled.

The primary drivers behind the high number of abstentions were Cuba’s human rights record and, for the European Union, its strategic alignment with Russia in the Ukraine war.

On Tuesday morning, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Josefina Vidal, was seen on the margins of the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in St Lucia, where she met with some country representatives, including Ambassador Oscar Arnold, CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize.