Washington Reinforces Over-50-year Blockade against Cuba

Edited by Lena Valverde Jordi
2014-09-10 17:18:12

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Havana, September 10 (RHC) -– Although the United Nations has adopted, for 22 years in a row, a resolution condemning the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, Washington's sanctions remain in place, stronger than ever, said Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister, Abelardo Moreno.

The Cuban official presented on Tuesday the Cuban Report on UN Resolution 68/8 -- “Necessity to End the U.S. Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba -- before local and foreign reporters at Havana’s “Solidaridad con Panama” special school.

“The blockade violates the rights of the Cuban people. There is not and there has not been in the whole world a major violation of the rights of a people like the blockade. There is not a single sphere of the life of Cubans where the effects of the U.S. measure are not felt,” Moreno pointed out.

The economic damage inflicted on the island by the blockade, bearing in mind the devaluation of the U.S. dollar on the world market, has amounted to 1 trillion, 112 billion and 534 thousand dollars.

The report also denounces the social impact of the U.S. anti-Cuba measure including the impossibility to access medical treatment required by children with eye cancer, and the difficulties to purchase equipment, technology or raw materials for special education affecting over 22 thousand 800 students.

Moreno also addressed the increasing extra-territorial nature of the blockade, while the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), under the Department of the Treasury, has recently punished institutions like Frances BNP Paribas Bank, Switzerland’s Weatherford Oil company and Scotland’s Royal Bank.

Since January 2009 up to June 2014, the Obama administration has imposed very large fines against 36 U.S. and foreign entities for having relations with Cuba.

On October 28th, Cuba will again present its draft resolution at the United Nations, demanding the lifting of the U.S. blockade, which has been overwhelmingly backed by the international community on previous occasions. In 2013, a total of 188 out of all 193 UN member nations condemned the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

“With or without the blockade, the Cuban people will always defend their sovereignty and their right to choose the economic, political and social system of their own,” said Moreno as he concluded the presentation of the report.


 



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