The United Nations has narrowly passed a motion calling on Cuba to accept a visit by a UN envoy to probe alleged abuses.
The resolution, presented by four Latin American countries, was narrowly approved by the Geneva-based Commission on Human Rights by 24 votes to 20, with nine abstentions.
An amendment brought by Costa Rica to condemn the recent sentencing of dozens of dissidents to long jail terms and another draft presented by Cuba attacking the decades-old US economic embargo were defeated.
Cuba, which sees the vote as interference in its domestic affairs, was critical of the fourLatin American states - Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Uruguay - calling them "disgusting lackeys" who had bowed to "shameful" pressure from the United States.
Seven of the 11 Latin American countries on the commission voted in the favour of the call, including Mexico and Paraguay.
Argentina and Brazil abstained, while Venezuela and Cuba voted against.
Cuba, which has been ruled by President Fidel Castrosince 1959, remains a politically-sensitive issue throughout much of Latin America and none of its representatives on thecommission backed the Costa Rican motion.
The resolution approved by the 53-state body urged Cuba to respect a 2002 commission decision to send a special envoy to monitor its progress in respecting human rights.
Cuba has so far refused to allow the envoy, French magistrate Christine Chanet, to make a visit, saying that the UN should focus instead on the US Guantanamo naval base which is used to detain prisoners taken in Afghanistan during the 2002 war.
APF