Nov. 12 (UPI) — Antigua and Barbuda reversed its decision to support a United Nations resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba after the State Department warned that voting in favor could jeopardize negotiations over U.S. visa restrictions, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.

Browne disclosed the decision during his weekly radio program, according to Antigua News, which reported his remarks Tuesday.

The prime minister said his government had initially decided to support the resolution, but reconsidered after receiving a call from U.S. officials.

“We had decided to support Cuba on a resolution recently and changed our position because we had a call from the State Department advising us that they’re making progress in the negotiations and if we supported Cuba, that it would undermine the negotiations, so we changed our position,” Browne said, according to Antigua News.

Browne said his government had initially decided to vote in favor of the resolution, but instructed its ambassador to the United Nations to abstain after receiving the warning from Washington.

However, Antigua and Barbuda was ultimately recorded as absent during the Oct. 28 vote, rather than as an abstention. Browne said he did not know why the ambassador had failed to participate.

The U.N. General Assembly adopted the resolution 130-17, with 25 abstentions. The nonbinding measure, introduced every year, called for an end to the longstanding U.S. economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba.

Antigua and Barbuda had supported a similar resolution in 2025, according to the country’s voting record cited by the Antigua Observer.

Browne’s disclosure comes as his government seeks to reverse U.S. visa restrictions that have complicated travel for citizens of the Caribbean nation.

During the radio program, a woman told the prime minister that she could not travel to the United States to visit her ailing mother because her visa had expired and obtaining a new one remained difficult.

Browne said his government continued negotiating with Washington and questioned the justification for the restrictions, citing the countries’ longstanding diplomatic relationship.

In August, Antigua and Barbuda formally requested that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio review the restrictions and the Visa Bond Program that affects its citizens.

According to a government statement, Ambassador Ronald Sanders delivered a diplomatic note to Rubio after Browne had written directly to President Donald Trump to request a review.

The government said it had implemented measures addressing U.S. concerns about identity verification, document security, screening and compliance with immigration requirements.

Browne also suggested that Washington’s position could be related to Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Program, which allows qualifying foreign investors to obtain citizenship through financial contributions.

He said his government had informed the European Union of its willingness to suspend the program, while requesting an additional 3 1/2 years to phase it out.

The prime minister said he remained uncertain whether the citizenship program was the only reason for the U.S. restrictions.

The dispute comes amid divisions among Caribbean governments over Washington’s policy toward Cuba.

During the October vote, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname supported the resolution. Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana abstained, while Trinidad and Tobago voted against it.

In addition to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St. Lucia were recorded as absent.

The resolution received significantly less support than in 2025, when 165 countries voted in favor.

Browne said his government would continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the visa restrictions that affect its citizens.