New York, Mar 13 (RHC) The International Conference for normalizing the United States-Cuba relations ended the day before in this city with an energetic declaration in favor of the sovereignty of the Antillean people.
There was unanimous demand for the removal of the blockade that successive U.S. administrations have imposed on the island for more than 60 years, as well as the demand for the elimination of all financial and travel restrictions.
The speakers agreed that Washington's inclusion of the Caribbean nation on the list of countries sponsoring terrorism is a major injustice and deprives Cuba of equal access to financial markets.
U.S. Congressman James McGovern from Massachusetts urged his compatriots to design initiatives to fight against the blockade.
The member of the House of Representatives considered the unilateral siege as the cause of all the difficulties suffered by the Cuban people.
He urged his listeners to pressure the U.S. administration to reverse its stance toward Cuba and evoked as a positive example the reintroduction of a bipartisan bill by five senators to eliminate Washington's unilateral siege.
In addition to that of the legislator, many other voices exposed how the U.S. seeks to make the West Indian nation's principles crumble with severe prohibitions, whose objectives are to fill its population with hardship.
Among them was the Cuban-American activist and leader of the solidarity movement Puentes de Amor, Carlos Lazo, who spoke of his group's tireless struggle for the lifting of the blockade and its continuous solidarity actions.
The intervention of the academic William LeoGrande, who said that the next step of the White House should be to remove Cuba from Washington's unilateral list of State sponsors of terrorism, also deserved a standing ovation.
Medea Benjamin, the co-founder of Codepink, did the same when she pointed out that far from being an aggressor country, the largest of the Antilles has been the victim of multiple attacks by the United States.
The attendance of some members of the Cuban civil society, represented by the Federation of Cuban Women and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, represented a great opportunity to expose the Caribbean country's efforts to improve society and make it fairer and more inclusive.
The event did not miss a single opportunity to disseminate the richness of Cuban culture and customs, so there was also an art exhibition and a festival of short films from the island.
Cuba yes, blockade no, was the claim projected on the screen, from which some speakers took the floor, but it was also the premise that the participants took with them in their hearts. (Source: PL)
