00:00Trinidad and Tobago's vote at the United Nations has triggered sharp criticism from former government minister Vasan Barath,
00:07who describes the decision as a betrayal of Cuba and a departure from the country's long-standing diplomatic position.
00:14Barath says the government has abandoned decades of support for ending the United States' economic embargo against the Caribbean nation,
00:22accusing the prime minister of sacrificing principle for political favor.
00:27His commentary to Facebook reads,
00:40The controversy follows the October 28, 2026 vote at the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution calling for an
00:49end to the United States' economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.
00:54According to the figures cited by Barath, 138 countries supported the resolution while 17 opposed it, placing Trinidad and Tobago
01:03among the minority voting against the measure.
01:07The annual resolution has historically received overwhelming international support, although it is non-binding and does not itself lift the
01:16United States' sanctions.
01:17Barath argues that the embargo has contributed to shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, compounding the hardship experienced
01:26by ordinary Cubans.
01:28He says,
01:41The former minister also points to what he described as a contradiction between the government's current position and the prime
01:49minister's previous public statements on Cuba and its late leader, Fidel Castro.
01:54He questions whether the country's foreign policy is being shaped by national interests or by a desire to strengthen relations
02:02with the United States.
02:03He adds,
02:04Trinidad and Tobago is a sovereign republic, not a diplomatic appendage of Washington.
02:10The vote comes amid wider debate over the future of U.S.-Cuba relations and Washington's engagement with Caribbean governments on
02:18regional security and other strategic interests.
02:21For Trinidad and Tobago, the decision raises questions about how the government intends to balance closer ties with the United
02:28States against its diplomatic relationships within the Caribbean and Latin America.
02:33Bharat is calling for a foreign policy grounded in sovereignty, humanitarian concerns and independent judgment, warning that the country's international
02:43credibility could be damaged if its positions are perceived as following those of more powerful states.
02:50Arvashita Wari Rupnarein, TV6 News.
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