UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The status of U.S. blockade on Cuba

Q1. With reference to the powers of the principal organs of the United Nations under the UN Charter, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A General Assembly resolution adopted by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting becomes legally binding on all Member States, including those that voted against it.
  2. The General Assembly shall not make a recommendation on a dispute while the Security Council is exercising its Charter functions with respect to that dispute, unless the Council so requests.
  3. Member States have agreed under the Charter to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q2. With reference to embargoes and blockades as instruments of coercion, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. An embargo works through a state's restrictions on its own trade and financial dealings with the target, whereas a blockade physically prevents vessels from reaching the target's ports.
  2. The UN Charter lists blockade among the measures not involving the use of armed force that the Security Council may decide upon.
  3. Because an embargo involves no use of armed force, the Security Council has no power to require Member States to cut off economic relations with a state.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1 only

Q3. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The interception of Cuba-bound oil tankers by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2026 goes beyond the trade restrictions that the U.S. has maintained against Cuba since the 1960s.
  2. Under the UN Charter, a naval blockade by a state is merely the enforcement at sea of an existing trade embargo, and so needs no separate legal justification.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q4. The U.S. President cannot end the economic embargo on Cuba by executive action alone. Which one of the following best explains this?

  • A. The embargo is set out in federal statutes such as the Helms-Burton Act, and repealing a statute requires a fresh Act of Congress.
  • B. Congress has transferred control of the embargo to the UN, so only a Security Council decision can now bring it to an end.
  • C. The embargo rests on a bilateral treaty with Cuba, and Congress must consent before the President can terminate any treaty.
  • D. Executive orders on sanctions take effect only after Congress ratifies them, so presidential easing would lapse without that approval.

Q5. Consider the following facts: Since early 2026, the U.S. has threatened tariffs on any country that supplies oil to Cuba; the U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted tankers bound for the island; and Cuba now faces power cuts of 12 to 20 hours a day, along with disruption of food distribution and healthcare. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above?

  1. The measures reach beyond U.S.–Cuba trade by attaching costs to third countries' dealings with Cuba.
  2. Cuba's electricity supply depends substantially on imported fuel.
  3. The interception of tankers has been authorised by the UN Security Council, making compliance obligatory for all Member States.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1 only