UN General Assembly Likely to Support Lifting Cuba Blockade

Cuba expects the U.N. to vote in favor of the draft resolution on lifting of the United States blockade, according to the charge d'affaires of the Greater Antilles Alexander Pellicer on Tuesday.

Since the imposition of the blockade, Cuba has suffered losses in the trillions of dollars for the punitive measures, which have been condemned 22 consecutive times by the General Assembly, with last year 188 votes in favour of removing the blockade.

In the last vote, only the United States and Israel voted against the bill which call for the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.

Pellicer stated that the blockade is an "is an act of genocide, it violates international law, the U.N. Charter and the rules of international trade.”

Even the right wing journal Forbes says that “the official position is outdated, hypocritical, and counterproductive.”

The Cuban blockade was inaugurated by a Kennedy administration executive order in 1960 as a response to the confiscation of American property in Cuba under the new Fidel Castro government.

The blockade also costs the United States around US$3 billion according to the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Further, Cuba’s ambassador to Dominica, Eleana Ramos told a news conference Friday that the blockade imposed by Washington since 1971, had caused severe socio-economic hardships on the population.

“By virtue of the embargo policy, Cuba is still unable to freely export and import products and services to and from the US."

She also noted that the blockade blocked Cuba from accessing money from international institutions.

Ramos forcefully stated that the blockade qualifies as an act of genocide.

“The blockade inflicts significant adverse effects on the mental, psychological and spiritual well-being of the Cuban people and it imposes serious obstacles upon its economic, cultural and social development,” she added.

“Not one single area of life for the Cuban people is untouched by the destruction and destabilizing action imposed by this illegal policy,” Ramos said.