On July 6, the countries that make up the United Nations General Assembly voted 136-9 against the American economic blockade of Cuba with 20 countries abstaining, including Canada.

This is probably the one and only time I have felt embarrassed to be a Canadian and should every other Canadian who supports the right of every human being to live with dignity, without a constant threat to their lives and those of their loved ones.

Because make no doubt about it, the current blockade and ongoing 67-year embargo against Cuba and its people is a crime against humanity that should be tried in International Court of Justice and not on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly in a debate over a non-binding resolution.

The blockade has resulted in widespread energy starvation, severe power blackouts lasting up to 22 hours daily, and critical shortages of fuel, food and medicine. Gasoline for private cars is non-existent and is now only limited to emergency responders, the military and limited public transit services. Most grocery stores are empty and whenever they do get food, people have to line up for hours just to get a chance to but some of it.

The fuel to run power stations is even more critical. People don’t depend on power just to keep their fridge running or to watch TV. You need electricity to run hospitals, operate dialysis machines and keep schools open. And you need fuel to run generators.

So rather than condemn the American blockade which is putting Cuban lives at risk, including young children, the Liberal government Mark Carney, decided to abstain rather than risk upsetting Donald Trump.

Pierre Trudeau, who was the first leader of a NATO-member country to visit post-Revolution Cuba in 1976 and maintained a friendly relationship with Fidel Castro, must be rolling over in his grave. Not that a Conservative government would have done any different. In fact, a Conservative government with Pierre Poilievre as prime minister might have voted against the resolution and in favour of the U.S. embargo.

But that’s beside the point. The point is that Canada, and that includes all of us, didn’t have the backbone to vote against what is an undefendeable embargo.

Canada should have voted against the embargo and it should be doing everything it can to send humanitarian aid, including fuel for essential services such as medical care.

Canada and Canadians have been one of Cuba’s biggest supporters for over 40 years. But when Trump first imposed the latest economic blockade, Canada and Canadian companies such as Sunwing, Air Transat and Blue Diamond, which owns a number of reports on the island, or should I say “owned” were the first to pull out.

In fact, Blue Diamond started shutting down some of their resorts while Canadians were still staying in them. Staff were given three hours to gather their personal items and get on buses to take them home. That’s not how friends should act. Nor should true friends sit on the sidelines, while their friends are being made to suffer. Canada’s abstention is a black mark on our country and Canadians in general.