Brussels, November 17 (RHC)-- The international tribunal to judge the U.S. blockade against Cuba will issue its verdict in Brussels on Friday after analyzing the denunciations and evidence on the human and economic impact of that siege and its extraterritorial scope.

Yesterday, on the opening day at the Brussels headquarters of the European Parliament, the prosecution introduced its arguments in the trial, followed by the testimonies of witnesses, who denounced with concrete cases the damages caused by Washington to the island and the consequences for companies and citizens of third countries.

Among the depositions, physical or by video messages, were those of Cuban mothers of children with cancer patients, about the difficulties faced by the government in acquiring key medicines for the treatment of their children.

From the United States, the organization Puentes de Amor (Bridges of Love) shared with the international tribunal the obstacles in its humanitarian work, while the French association CubaCoop explained how difficult it is to transfer money to the Antillean nation to carry out cooperation projects for local socio-economic development due to the blockade.

For their part, Spanish and Italian businessmen criticized the siege policy applied by Washington, which in addition to asphyxiating the island's economy, is increasing the costs of its commercial activities, causing the closing of accounts and severely attacking competitiveness.

The chief judge in the case, the German expert in International Law Norman Paech, said that the tribunal convened by political, social and jurist organizations from Europe and the United States will seek to identify whether the blockade violates international laws and which ones are transgressed with its extraterritorial scope.

We will analyze here whether or not the United States complies with the principles of peaceful coexistence, human rights, international law, the agreements of the World Trade Organization and the laws of the European Union, he added.

Participants in the trial expressed their confidence in a resounding condemnation of the blockade and in its moral and political force, since it is not binding.

The deliberation of the judges and the reading of the resolution of the trial are scheduled for today. (Source: Prensa Latina)