MEPs condemn blockade of Cuba

Brussels, November 16 (RHC) -- Members of the European Parliament from various countries intervened today in this capital in the preamble of the international tribunal that will judge the U.S. blockade against Cuba to condemn that policy and the human damage it causes.

They also denounced the extraterritorial nature of the economic, commercial and financial siege applied by Washington for more than 60 years, in one of the halls of the European Parliament and before some 200 representatives of political, solidarity, trade union and legal organizations from Europe and the United States.

In their comments before the installation of the tribunal, they also rejected the inclusion of Cuba in the unilateral list of countries sponsoring terrorism and the decision of successive U.S. administrations to ignore the world's demand to put an end to its aggressions against the island.

The Portuguese MEP Sandra Pereira considered the blockade a violent violation of International Law and of the human rights of an entire people, which did not cease to be attacked even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He also recognized the dignity and courage of the Cubans in the face of a policy that increasingly deteriorates their economic situation and hinders their right to development.

For his part, his Spanish colleague Manu Pineda insisted on the human consequences of the siege and highlighted the dignity and solidarity of those who accepted to be part of the legal team of the process scheduled until tomorrow -judges, prosecutors, witnesses and experts- and of the delegates.

We see the cynicism of the United States, which at the same time that it suffocates the Cuban people with its blockade, claims to defend it, she criticized.

For Irish MEP Clare Daly, it is urgent to break down once and for all the illegal siege against a country that only wants to build its own path, and pays the price of its will with a violation of International Law and human rights.

Cuba has resisted against all odds, exhibits social achievements and has done a lot with its hands tied, so it is worth asking how much it would do without this criminal blockade, he said.

French MEP Leila Chaibi also condemned U.S. hostility and considered it a collective duty to do so in the name of justice, in the face of an inhuman policy that persists after decades.

This tribunal will be a voice of conscience for those in the world who believe in justice and fight against oppression, she said.

The MEPs of the Left Group supported the convening of the tribunal, accompanied by members of other forces in the European Parliament, such as the Italian Massimiliano Smeriglio (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), the Spanish Ana Miranda (Greens) and the Italian Sabrina Pignedoli (Non-attached).

The secretary of the National Assembly of Cuba, Homero Acosta, and the island's ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Yaira Jimenez, expressed their gratitude for the worldwide support in the fight against the blockade.

In particular, they acknowledged those who made possible the realization of the international tribunal to denounce and judge the U.S. blockade, and thanked those who are taking part in the process.

For the first day of the tribunal the presentation of witnesses is scheduled, with the presentation of concrete cases of the human and economic impact of the blockade.  (Source: Prensa Latina)