Cuban Parliament Demands Elimination of the US Blockade

On Thursday, the Cuban Parliament rejected the U.S. blockade during a public hearing in which foreign legislators were present.

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Under the slogan "Better without blockade", the lawmakers gathered at the Havana Capitol to denounce once again the disastrous consequences of a foreign policy that the United States has been maintained for the last six decades.

"The pretexts for applying the blockade have varied over the years," Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez recalled, adding that "the real reasons for this economic war have been to prevent the success of the Cuban socialist project."

He also pointed out that those who deny the real impact of the U.S. arbitrary sanctions "either have a profound ignorance of reality or are lying."

Regarding the exclusion of Cuba from the U.S list of "States sponsors of international terrorism," Fernandez recalled that his nation can do little about the U.S. political realities allowing the perpetuation of such an unjust definition. "What is up to us is to speak out and fight against it," he said.

In the session of the Cuban parliament were foreign lawmakers such as Spain's MEP Manu Pineda, Bolivia's Lower House President Freddy Mamani, Colombian Senator Gloria Florez, and Mexican Senador Beatriz Paredes. 

This international event happened one day after the start of the Cuba-United States Business Forum that is taking place in Havana for the first time since 2016.

On that same day, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel met with international investors and pointed out that his country is "open" to dialogue with the United States, but in conditions of equality and with respect for his nation's sovereignty and integrity.