The U.S. against the civilized world on Cuba issue

3/11/14
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 27, 2014.


The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly for the 23rd time to condemn the decades-long U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, with many nations praising the island state for its response in fighting the deadly Ebola virus that is ravaging West Africa.
In the 193-nation assembly, 188 countries voted for the nonbinding resolution, titled "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." As in previous years, the only countries that voted against the declaration were the United States and an ally, Israel. The Pacific island nations Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia abstained. The voting result was identical to last year's.
In a speech on the U.N. podium, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez appealed to the United States to change course on an embargo he said has caused great harm to the people of Cuba and caused cumulative economic damage amounting to more than $1 trillion. "We invite the government of the United States to establish mutually respectful relations," Rodriguez said. "We can try to find a solution to our differences through respectful dialogue. We can live and deal with each other in a civilized way despite our differences," he said. "Cuba will never relinquish our sovereignty."
U.S. envoy Ronald Godard dismissed the resolution, saying Havana uses the yearly General Assembly vote as an "attempt to shift blame" for economic problems that are its own creation. Evoking former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's famous "tear down this wall" speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987, Godard criticized the Cuban government's restrictions on the Internet, saying "tear down the digital wall of censorship".
While the General Assembly's vote is nonbinding and symbolic, it serves to highlight U.S. isolation regarding Havana. It is one of very few issues where all of Washington's Western allies part ways with the United States.
A number of countries lauded Havana for sending more doctors than any other country to West Africa to combat the biggest outbreak of Ebola since the disease was identified in 1976. Among those praising Cuba's contribution in the battle against Ebola were Iran, on behalf of the 120-nation bloc of nonaligned countries, and Bolivia, on behalf the Group of 77 plus China, a group of developing nations. Mexico, India and others echoed that praise.
Adoption of the resolution has become an annual ritual. When it first passed in 1992, it received 59 yes votes and three votes against. But there were 71 countries that abstained and 46 that did not participate in the vote. The gradual shift to a near-unanimous vote in favor is a clear sign of the widespread disapproval of the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
Washington broke diplomatic ties and imposed a comprehensive trade embargo on the Communist-run Caribbean island more than half a century ago during the Cold War. Its policy today appears to be influenced by domestic politics in Florida, where Cuban exiles have opposed any conciliation with former President Fidel Castro or current President Raul Castro, who took over for his brother in 2008.
In speech for debating and explaining the vote, the representative of countries and groups such as the Non-Aligned countries, the G7, Africa, the Caribbean Community countries, MERCOSUR and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ... has strongly condemned the US’s embargo for violation of the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and called on the United States to be responsible for implementing the resolutions of the UN’s security council and immediately stop the illegal embargo against Cuba.
Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of Vietnam's permanent representative at the UN confirmed that Vietnam reiterates its support for the right of the people of Cuba to choose their path of development as well as for the ending of the US embargo against the country. Vietnam entirely shares the view that the unilateral embargo unilaterally imposed by the United States is at variance with the purposes of the United Nations and constitutes a violation of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law. These include sovereign equality, non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, right of self-determination and peaceful co-existence and freedom of trade. It is very much a case about upholding the rule of law at the international level.
The embargo has obviously caused enormous damage to the socio-economic development of Cuba and the life of the country’s people, especially women and children. For all the numerous and updated reports about negative impact of the embargo, the human suffering should undoubtedly be immeasurable. It is an encroachment upon human rights. It is also one of the obstacles that need to be removed in the promotion of the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, reduction of poverty and advancement of sustainable development in the post-2015 period. It is very pertinent to the theme of this UNGA Session, namely.
For the fore-going, Vietnam calls on the United States , in the implementation of the United Nations resolutions, to lift the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba./.
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All comments [ 10 ]


Voice of people 3/11/14 17:52

The United States first placed an embargo on Cuba in 1960, one year after Fidel Castro seized power and one year before Barack Obama was born

yobro yobro 3/11/14 17:53

Why has America continued with it?

For A Peace World 3/11/14 17:55

There are still plenty of diehard anti-Castro figures in Washington. But calling the arguments they marshal threadbare is unkind to threads. Cuba does not threaten American security. It is playing a constructive role.

Vietnam Love 3/11/14 17:58

The embargo increasingly exists only because it happens to be there.

Socialist Society 3/11/14 17:59

Only Israel sided with the United States, although the Israelis were happy to forgo a turn at the podium to defend their position

Me Too! 3/11/14 18:00

The three abstentions — Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau — are not widely regarded as diplomatic heavyweights.

Red Star 3/11/14 18:01

Viet Nam vehemently protests the US economic embargo against Cuba that has lasted for nearly half a century, describing the blockade as a serious violation of the United Nations Charter and the principles of internatioal law, free trade and navigation

LawrenceSamuels 3/11/14 18:02

For nearly half a century, the United States has been carrying out embargo and blockade measures against Cuba

Gentle Moon 3/11/14 18:02

Over the past 13 years, these embargo and blockage measures have been further tightened by the promulgation and implementation of the Helm-Burton and Torricelli Acts.

John Smith 3/11/14 18:04

The differences between the US and Cuba, two neighbouring countries, should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations in the spirit of respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty

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