Live
Audio Only
Internationally renowned professor Noam Chomsky urged Washington on Tuesday to end its economic blockade and military occupation of Guantanamo on the Cuban territory, a few days before President Barack Obama is expected to “give a lesson of human rights” in Havana.
In a letter co-signed by many prominent figures and organizations including Eva Golinger and Rev. Michael Kinnamon, Chomsky criticized the blockade for having deprived Cubans of an estimated US$117 billion between 1960 and 2014.
“The blockade not only hurts Cuba, but also the U.S.,” highlighted the text. “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which advocates lifting the embargo, states the cost to the U.S. economy of the 54 year sanctions range from $1.2 to $3.6 billion per year.”
However, Obama has a range of actions that fall under his authority, which could end benefit the island. This includes enabling the use of the dollar in international transactions and permitting Cuba to import from third countries products with more than 10 percent U.S. components.
IN DEPTH: US Blockade on Cuba
Moreover, the intellectuals criticized Washington for maintaining the 113-year-old military base illegally located on the Cuban territory, and demanded U.S. authorities to “set a timetable for returning U.S. occupied Guantanamo to the Cuban nation.”
According to Chomsky, the change of U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba was the result of the notable changes occurring in Latin America in the last few years, which isolated Washington more and more from its own “backyard,” as Latin America has frequently been referred to by the United States over the years, forcing the government to change its position regarding the island nation.
In previous declarations last year, Chomsky said the Fourth Summit of the Americas of 2012 in Colombia was a major turning point for the United States, as it saw itself, along with Canada, completely marginalized from all the crucial issues being debated, including Cuba.
WATCH: Cuban Blockade 2.0: The Helms-Burton Act
Newsletter
