Illustrative image taken from Archivo/RHC
By María Josefina Arce
On a new International Human Rights Day (December 10), the world continues to witness one of the longest and most serious violations of citizens' prerogatives, the economic, commercial and financial blockade maintained by the United States against Cuba.
For almost six decades Cubans have suffered the limitations imposed by this economic siege. No family's life escapes the effects of this inhuman policy, which during 2020 and this year was the main obstacle to the confrontation with COVID-19.
As a result of these sanctions, intensified under the mandate of Donald Trump (2017-2021) and maintained by the current administration presided by Joe Biden, the Cuban Health system was deprived of the acquisition of technologies, medicines and adequate health material.
Even the work of several entities of our biopharmaceutical industry, such as the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology and the Finlay Vaccine Institute, directly linked to the nation's efforts to face the pandemic, was affected.
The arrival of donations of necessary medical supplies to our country was also prevented. Washington's purpose, Cuban authorities denounced, was to help the pandemic cause uncontrollable numbers of infected and dead people, and to create unrest among the population.
The wartime measures prevent the regular and institutional flow of remittances to Cuban families and hinder links with Cubans living in the United States and family reunification.
The blockade is rejected by the international community, even by the majority of U.S. citizens who see their right to travel freely to Cuban territory restricted.
However, the United States ignores the demands of its people and of the great majority of nations, which year after year, since 1992, have spoken out at the UN for the cessation of that unilateral measure, which from April 2019 to December 2020 alone caused Cuba losses of more than nine BILLION dollars.
Precisely, last June, a historic day was once again experienced in the international organization. For the twenty-ninth time, the draft resolution presented by Cuba on the need to put an end to the blockade, which hinders the socio-economic development of the country and the improvement of the standard of living of the population, was approved by a large majority.
The United States is isolated, as evidenced not only by the votes of the UN General Assembly, but also by the declarations of support for the Cuban people from political personalities, regional organizations, parliaments, friendship associations and citizens from different latitudes.
The solidarity movement, which not even the pandemic could stop and had its maximum expression in the caravans that took place every month, is a reflection of the feelings of a large part of the international community.
A feeling that was expressed very clearly by the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, when he stated that "no one has the right to suffocate a people, that is vile, vile", he said.
In almost six decades the blockade has caused losses to Cuba amounting to 47 BILLION 853 million dollars and violated the most elementary human rights of more than eleven million Cubans, who aspire to live in peace, building a better country.
