For the past three decades, the United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly rejected the illegal economic blockade that the United States imposes against Cuba, constituting ongoing and consistent international condemnation of this economic siege that Washington has maintained on the Cuban people for more than half a century, and sending a clear message that the blockade must be lifted.
On October 28th and 29th, the United Nations General Assembly will once again vote in support of Cuba and in opposition to the brutal U.S. economic war against the heroic island nation, on the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
It has come to light that the United States is carrying out an unprecedented intimidation and pressure campaign upon third party states, in order to coerce and dissuade them into changing their historical votes that back this resolution to end the U.S. blockade against the Cuban people.
The U.S. administration, led by President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have submitted letters dated October 8th and 17th to different governments around the world, coercing them to change their votes at the United Nations. These intercepted cables promise to impose negative consequences on third countries that do not align with the U.S. position on Cuba. This veiled threat implies commercial tactics, such as tariffs, to directly interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign countries.
Alongside these cynical and deceptive efforts to sway countries’ votes, the U.S. has been trying to impose a narrative that Cuba is a threat to regional stability and peace, based on disinformation campaigns related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in which Cuba has absolutely no role, or lies of drug-trafficking in Latin America by governments that the U.S. targets for. regime-change – Baseless accusations, but very dangerous tactics, as we have seen time and time again how the U.S. uses such pretexts to justify invasion and direct military aggression against sovereign countries, as it is blatantly attempting to do against Venezuela right now. The targeted countries of this pressure campaign are, unsurprisingly, Latin American and European countries who have stood in support of Cuba and condemned the U.S. blockade.
Year after year, the great majority of the world votes in favour of lifting the economic blockade, meaning that the overwhelming international community stands with Cuba, and agrees that it is against international law and violates the human rights of the Cuban people. The only two countries in the world who have consistently voted against this resolution are the United States and its longtime ally Israel, with a handful of countries choosing to abstain depending on the geopolitical situation, specifically where the U.S. is waging proxy wars or has puppet governments carrying out its insidious and destructive agenda.
The U.S. knows that, year after year, this vote clearly marks them as isolated on the world stage. It is clear to everyone that the goal of the blockade is to harm the Cuban people directly. They are now escalating their attempts against Cuba in order to try to change the scenario in their favour politically and shake international morale.
The world stands with Cuba, and this vote on the resolution to condemn the blockade sends a resounding message of global solidarity and desire for justice; an unambiguous rejection and repudiation of Washington’s ongoing economic siege on the Cuban people, which stifles Cuba’s economic development by denying its people access to essential resources and infrastructure, with the explicit aim to negate their right to sovereignty, self determination, and independence.
The Canadian Network on Cuba reiterates its absolute condemnation of the United States’ blockade against Cuba and its disingenuous and fraudulent tactics to sway the votes of third countries in its favour and against Cuba. In a moment when, more than ever, nations around the world are calling for freedom from U.S. imperialism and interference, we continue to insist that the path to a just, peaceful, and sustainable world is through cooperation, mutual respect, and the dismantling of policies rooted in inequity and aggression.
End the U.S. blockade of Cuba!
¡Abajo el bloqueo imperialista contra Cuba!
Samantha Hislop & Julio Fonseca, Co-Chairs
Canadian Network on Cuba