10/18/2024
On 29 and 30 October, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will consider and take action, for the thirty-second time, on the draft resolution entitled ‘Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba’.
This resolution has historically received almost unanimous support from the members of the United Nations, which is a strong demonstration of recognition and support for the need to end the blockade against Cuba.
The draft to be presented this year is similar to the one adopted in 2023 and previous years, with the only changes being technical updates.
Ignoring the clear position of the international community and the provisions of successive resolutions on the subject adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, the US government and its regulatory agencies are rigorously applying the coercive measures that make up the complex framework of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against our country.
Since the approval of Executive Order 3447, 62 years ago, which made the blockade against Cuba official, the objective has remained the same: to create a situation of shortages and desperation among the population that will lead to the overthrow of the Cuban government.
To this end, the United States is applying a very aggressive surgical plan aimed at sensitive sectors of the economy, which since 2019 has escalated the blockade measures to a qualitatively more harmful and inhumane dimension, with unprecedented effects on Cuba's national public health system.
The ban on regular bilateral trade and on the import of goods from third countries that contain more than 10% US components has not been modified. The arbitrary list of restricted Cuban entities and the list of prohibited places of accommodation drawn up by the State Department to affect visits to Cuba also remain in force.
The ban on the use of the US dollar in Cuba's international transactions remains in place.
The US decision to allow lawsuits in US courts against Cuban and third country entities under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act remains in force, which has had an exponential impact on our foreign trade and investment.
Cuba's presence on the State Department's list of alleged State Sponsors of Terrorism, which receives a wide international rejection, has led to the termination of contracts, the loss of relations with banking institutions that normally worked with Cuba, indebtedness, delays in the sending and receiving of funds, food, medicines, fuel, materials and spare parts, among other difficulties, with incalculable costs and consequences for the Cuban people and economy.
As a result of this measure, a traveler visiting Cuba is not eligible to participate in the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and must apply for a consular appointment and a visa to enter the United States.
The US government cannot provide a single valid and reasonable argument for Cuba's continued inclusion on this false list. It does so only to justify the continuation of the policy of maximum pressure against the country.
In early 2024, five special procedures mandate holders of the UN Human Rights Council, called on the United States to review its framework of targeted sanctions against countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism, including Cuba, arguing that unilateral designations undermine human rights and are contrary to international law. They also recognized that the process by which a country is designated as a state sponsor of terrorism is neither clear nor transparent.
In July 2024, several of these human rights experts called on the US to lift the blockade and remove Cuba from the list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism, and "... to fully comply with all of its international human rights obligations, including extra-territorial obligations, and to take immediate action to end such measures", arguing that the re-designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism has imposed a series of additional economic and financial restrictions with a compounding negative impact on the country's ability to meet the needs of its people at a critical time when Cuba is facing serious economic challenges.
The offensive against tourism, with all kinds of fabrications as justification for classifying Cuba as an unsafe country, the persecution of international medical cooperation agreements, among others, are part of a perfected coercive plan aimed at preventing the entry of essential income to meet the growing needs of the population.
From 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024, the blockade caused damage and material losses to Cuba estimated at 5 056 800 000 dollars. This represents an approximate loss of more than $421 million per month, more than $13.8 million per day, and more than $575,683 in damages for every hour of blockade.
These costs are now reflected in the shortages of all kinds faced by Cubans, including food, medicines, fuel and transport, as well as in the deterioration of other basic services.
The intensification of the extraterritorial application of the financial blockade also affects individuals. Payment and e-commerce platforms such as PayPal and Airbnb have refused to provide services to many entrepreneurs. Nor can they access Visa or MasterCard cards to supply their businesses, as they are banned for Cubans anywhere in the world.
Likewise, dozens of Cuban diplomatic missions abroad have lost their relationship with the banks that traditionally provide them with services, fearing reprisals from the US government.
