OPPOSE THE INHUMANE EMBARGO OF THE U.S. AGAINST CUBA

On the 27th of October 2015, the Republic of Cuba will once again present a resolution to the United National General Assembly calling for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed and maintained by the United States of America against Cuba since 1961.

Cuba has presented such resolution to the General Assembly each year and it has regularly been passed by an overwhelming majority of General Assembly member countries, besides the United States and Israel.

Going against the democratic will of the majority of United Nations member countries, the United States has consistently ignored such resolutions passed in the General Assembly and has maintained this embargo against Cuba which poses no real threat to the United States, which maintains no such sanctions or embargoes against nuclear powers such as the former Soviet Union, Russia today and China which have the capacity to inflict great damage and destruction on the United States in event of war.

Raging Grannies protest U.S. embargo against Cuba

This inhumane embargo not only restricts trade between the United States and Cuba but also trade between other countries and Cuba, as well as shipping and air routes which include Cuba as a stop.

Whilst resourceful Cuba has a viable home grown biomedical industry, this embargo denies Cuba access to other required medicines for the health of its people as well as access to key components for pharmaceuticals development, as well as other kinds of medical items and equipment from any country which contain a certain proportion if U.S. content or technology. This blockade also restricts approval for Cuba's biomedical products from being granted by respective medical and pharmaceutical regulatory bodies around the world.

For example, one such product produced from scorpion venom can combat cancer and prolong or save the lives of cancer patients - patients such as my cousin who passed away from cancer in 2009. 

The embargo also limits Cuba's communications connectivity to the rest of the world, forcing Cuba to rely on a slow satellite link to the international Internet. In 2010 or 2011 I downloaded a Cuban version of Linux from a server in Cuba and boy it was slow at a mere 256 Kbps.

It also limits Cuba's access to computer hardware, electronic components, software, communication equipment and so forth, upon threat of companies in any country being heavily penalised by the U.S. imperialists for selling any items or software containing up to a certain percentage of U.S. content.

It also restricts Cuba's access to financial services, which in turn limits Cuba's trade with other countries.

The embargo also greatly restricts international trade in Cuba's products such as cigars, rum, sugar and others.

However, unlike the imperialist regime which rules over them, the majority of American people oppose such embargo. In its poll conducted in July 2015, the Pew Research Center found that 72% of the US population wants an end to the blockade, up from 66% in January 2015.

However, the right wing Republicans who control the U.S. Congress and the House of Representatives continues to support such a meaningless and cruel embargo against a socialist country in Latin America, bolstered by a small caucus within the House of Representatives and the Senate which is comprised of Cubans loyal to the former regime of Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar, the pro U.S. imperialist dictator whose regime was overthrown by the Cuban people led by Fidel Castro with the great assistance of Che Guevara.

It is hoped that this embargo will finally be lifted along with all remaining restrictions pertaining to travel to Cuba, telecommunications and financial remittances, especially following the U.S. imperialist regime's president Barack Obama's removal of Cuba from list of states “sponsoring international terrorism”, resumption of U.S. - Cuba diplomatic relations and the return of five patriotic Cuban anti-terrorist fighters to Cuba (who were unjustly imprisoned in the U.S. for years for covertly monitoring the activities of pro-U.S. imperialist Cuban-American terrorists who were responsible for U.S. engineered terrorism for decades, including the dramatic bombing of one of Cuba's civilian aircraft in 1976 resulting in the death of a large number of schoolchildren).

Goods for Cuba from Canada pass through U.S. immigration checkpoint

Whether or not this cruel and unjust embargo by the U.S. imperialist regime is lifted is left to be seen but whatever, the ever resourceful Cuba will continue to survive despite in and will continue to receive the support of justice-minded people of the world.

Cuban flag flies in the U.S.

 

Viva La Cuba!

The pictures above are photos I took in late 1993 or very early 1994, of the movements of a motor convoy carrying aid from Canada to Cuba, as it crossed the Canada - United States border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington (not to be confused with that degraded cesspit and vipers' nest called Washington DC).

Following below is a press release of 12th October 2015, issued by H.E. Ambassador Ruben Perez Valdes, Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Malaysia.

Yours truly.

La Luccha Final

http://bureaupolitique.blogspot.my

DRAFT RESOLUTION “NECESSITY OF ENDING THE ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL EMBARGO IMPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AGAINST CUBA.”

SEVENTIETH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

• The establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States has been an initial positive step in the process towards the normalization of bilateral relations. In this context, we welcome President Barack Obama’s express intention to open a new chapter in the relations between both nations after recognizing that the blockade is harmful to the Cuban people and urging the US Congress to put an end to that policy.
  
  

• While the regulations issued by the Department of Commerce and the Treasury on January 15, 2015 were steps pointing in the right direction in areas such as travel to Cuba, telecommunications and remittances, these are limited in scope and only modify some aspects related to the implementation of the blockade.
  
  

• President Obama has broad possibilities to significantly modify the implementation of the blockade by making use of his executive powers, without requiring the support of the US Congress. An evidence of this are the new regulations enacted by the Department of Commerce and the Treasury on telecommunications which, with the purpose of pursuing political objectives, allow the operation of US companies in Cuba.
  
  

• After December 17, the implementation of the blockade against Cuba has remained unchanged, the most notorious examples of this being the 1.710 billion dollar fine imposed on the German bank Commerzbank and the 7 658 300 dollar fine imposed on the US company PayPal.
  
  

• Under President Obama’s administration, the blockade has been further tightened and its territorial implementation has been intensified through the imposition of 42 fines on US and foreign entities to the value of 13 279 148 196 dollars.
  
  

• Although President Obama staged an act of historical justice when he notified the US Congress of his decision to remove Cuba from the so-called List of States Sponsors of International Terrorism, a list in which Cuba should have never been included, this has not meant an easing of the intricacies of all the prohibitions and restrictions established by the blockade laws and regulations imposed against our country.
  
  

• For its part, the US Congress has not approved any of the bills seeking to eliminate some of the blockade regulations. However, some ten legal initiatives have been presented in Congress, the purpose of which being to reinforce several fundamental aspects related to the implementation of this policy and prevent the approval by the President of new executive measures and the implementation of those which have already been adopted.
  
  

• Based on all of the above, Cuba will uphold its call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States. We expect to be able to count, once again, on the support of the international community at any fora where this issue is discussed, particularly the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, to vote in favor of the resolution against the blockade, which will be presented on October 27, 2015.
  
  

• The new draft resolution that we will present takes into account the new bilateral circumstances between Cuba and the United States, welcoming the re-establishment of diplomatic relations and recognizing the willingness expressed by the US President to work for the lifting of the blockade.
  
  

• These modifications are in accordance with the present context and the expectations of the international community with regard to this text.
  
  

• The blockade against Cuba should cease. It is the most unjust, severe and longest-lasting system of unilateral sanctions ever applied to any country.
  
  

• The economic damages caused to the Cuban people, based on very conservative estimates and considering the devaluation of the dollar against the price of gold in the international market, have been set at 833. 755 billion dollars, taking into account the reduction in the price of gold as compared to the former period. At current prices, throughout all these years, the blockade has caused damages estimated at more than 121.192 billion dollars.
  
  

• The international community’s mobilizing role in support of the lifting of the blockade imposed against Cuba is essential and will be an important factor in support of President Obama and those members of the US Congress who favor the end of this cruel policy, in face of their adversaries and critics. The international solidarity and support that Cuba has received all along these long and tough years have been crucial in the change of the US Cuba policy.
  
  

• Cuba reiterates its gratitude for the continued support given by the international community to the Cuban people’s call for the ceasing of this illegal, genocidal and extraterritorial policy, which will never prevent the Cuban people from defending its sovereignty and its right to freely decide upon its future.
  
  

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA

MALAYSIA

October 12th. 2015