For the past 25 years, the UN General Assembly has held a vote calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba since the Cold War.
Last year the vote was nearly unanimous, with only the US and Israel voting against the motion.
But ahead of this year's vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, made this announcement.
"For more than 50 years, the United States had a policy aimed at isolating the government of Cuba. For roughly half of those years, UN member states have voted overwhelmingly for a General Assembly resolution that condemns the US embargo and calls for it to be ended. The United States has always voted against this resolution. Today, the United States will abstain."
Israel also abstained, which saw the vote end with 191 votes in favour from the 193 members.
It's nearly 56 years to the day since US President Dwight Eisenhower declared a trade embargo on Cuban exports after the execution of loyalists to former dictator Fulgencio Batista and the nationalisation of US oil refineries.
But while the result is historic, it isn't official.
The only body that can lift the embargo is the US Congress and the Republicans who control it have been unwilling to make concessions to Cuba.
Andrew Fishbein, policy director at the Center for Democracy in the Americas, is confident the UN vote will change that.
"It's just another statement that shows the direction of US policy towards Cuba has fundamentally changed and its course is irreversible. More and more people in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, have come to understand that the policy is unsustainable and they're supporting it in fewer and fewer numbers. It puts additional pressure on members of congress to answer their constituents why they would support a policy of isolation that has failed for so long."
US President Barack Obama began normalising relations with Cuba in 2014.
But Samantha Power notes that abstaining from the vote does not mean the US agrees with the policies and practices of the Communist-run country.
"We are profoundly concerned by the serious human rights violations that the Cuban government continues to commit with impunity against its own people, including arbitrarily detaining those who criticise the government, threatening, intimidating and at times physically assaulting citizens who take part in peaceful marches and meetings and severely restricting the access that people on the island have to outside information. As President Obama made clear when he travelled to Havana, we believe that the Cuban people, like all people, are entitled to basic human rights."
In the past the US has argued the embargo was vital to instigating change in Cuba, ranging from human rights to democracy.
But analysts say it's given the Cuban government an excuse for its problems, and a pretext for its abuses.
Cuba's Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez, says over the years the blockade has caused about $165 billion of damage to his country's economy.
"Lifting the blockade is the key to be able to advance towards normal relations with the United States. It will give some meaning, depth and soundness to what's been achieved so far. The blockade is unjust, inhuman, immoral and illegal and should unilaterally and unconditionally cease. The change in vote which Ambassador Samantha Power has just announced is a promising signal. We hope that it will be reflected in reality."
Cuba even organised a vote-watching party at the University of Havana, where students viewed a special live broadcast projected on giant screens.
Many, like Anett Fuentes, remain hopeful the blockade will be lifted.
"I think it's a genocidal policy that should be stopped. It keeps out technology and purchases of medicine, so it's necessary to vote against the blockade."
But student Alejandro Arredondo says the UN vote is meaningless without action.
"Abstaining from the vote doesn't really mean anything if they don't follow through. I also hope the US Congress truly decides to end the blockade."
Andrew Fishbein warns if the past five and a half decades are anything to go by, even the possibility of the embargo being lifted will not guarantee social change in Cuba.
"Actions by the United States don't affect the internal policies of Cuba. That's been clear after 55 years of embargo policy and attempts to do away with the regime in Cuba by the US government over those decades. I don't think that anyone has any illusions that just because the United States does something things are going to change automatically in Cuba, that the conditions will change or the attitude of authorities is going to change. That's a failed logic, it hasn't worked. It's up to people in Cuba to make the changes."
