Cuba recalls the officialization of the U.S. blockade in 1962

Havana, Feb 7 (RHC) Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero today recalled on Twitter the official declaration of the U.S. blockade against this Caribbean nation issued on February 7, 1962, and reiterated the need for its lifting.

In his message, the Cuban head of government affirmed the countless damages caused by that policy during these 61 years. "We will not get tired of demanding the end of this unjust siege, which hinders the development of our nation and affects us all," Marrero wrote.

In 1962, then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy resorted to the so-called Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917 to implement the economic blockade against Cuba, following several executive decisions that had been applied since 1959 by his predecessor, Dwight Eisenhower.

Such policy has the purpose of suffocating the island's economy and provoking a regime change and was signed into law in 1992 and 1995.

Since 2017, those provisions were tightened to unprecedented levels, even in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global crisis.

The U.S. blockade against Cuba is one of the most enduring in history, condemned by the United Nations.

The arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the State Department's unilateral list of alleged countries sponsoring terrorism aggravates the situation, since it restricts exports, hinders international banking operations, and limits the granting of economic aid, among other consequences.

Despite these obstacles, the Caribbean Island persists in promoting its socialist development model and maintains the purpose of consolidating its independence and sovereignty, and the right to self-determination. (Source: PL)