Cuba makes case for lifting of US embargo

The Cuban government is once again calling on the international community to support its call for the lifting of the trade embargo imposed by the United States.

At a press conference, to garner local support, Cuban ambassador to Dominica Joanna Elena Ramos on Wednesday described the embargo as an act of genocide.

“The increased persecution of Cuba’s international financial transactions has been one of the distinctive features in the implementation of the blockade policy under the current US administration, she argued.

For the 21st consecutive time Cuba on November 13th, 2012 will submit for the consideration of the UN General Assembly the draft resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”.

Since its conception the resolution has been steadily gaining support from nations around the globe. Last year 186 member states voted in favor of the resolution, which according to Cuba is irrefutable proof that the battle for the lifting of the blockade has the recognition and support of the vast majority of the international community.

But calls for lifting the embargo have fallen on deaf ears. In 2012 the US imposed a $619-million fine on the Dutch bank ING for making transactions with Cuba, in dollars.

Actions like these due to the embargo are described by the Cuban ambassador as criminal and inhumane. “The blockade continues to be a criminal, inhumane and morally unsustainable policy that has not succeeded and will never succeed in fulfilling the purpose of breaking the political will of the Cuban people to preserve its sovereignty, independence and right to self-determination, she stated.

She said the embargo is having a devastating impact on Cuba. The direct economic damage to the Cuban people by the implementation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba until December 2011 based on the current prices and calculated in a very conservative way, amount to over 108 billion dollars (108,000,000,000), she said. Taking into consideration the depreciation of the US dollar against the price of gold in the international financial market, the damages cost to the Cuban economy would exceed one trillion 66 thousand million dollars ($1,066,000,000,000).

She also thanked the Dominican government for its continued support on the matter.