Farnnoush Amiri and Jennifer Peltz | Associated Press

A vote Wednesday softened Washington's isolation on a longstanding issue in the Caribbean while new friction grows around the U.S. military buildup there. The vote was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Last year, it was 187-2, with "no" votes from the U.S. and Israel and one abstention. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told AP that the U.S. mounted a campaign to influence the vote.