The ongoing imposition of the blockade in Cuba has continued to face widespread condemnation, with many viewing it as a breach of international law. This is even as calls for its removal are growing louder.
This renewed urgency comes as the Cuban Government has submitted a new proposal to the United Nations General Assembly, urging the international community to act against the restrictive blockade on the island nation
Every year the Cuban Government presents a proposal under Resolution 78/7 of the United Nations General Assembly entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba”.
The Cuban government through its embassy in Abuja, Nigeria in a statement said the blockade not only damages the economic, commercial and financial ties between Cuba and the United States, it also has succeeded in impairing the economic and commercial relations of the island in any part of the world, in contempt of the sovereign prerogatives of other countries and the rights of their citizens.
Part of the statement read “It is a mischievous purpose that is embodied in the aforementioned Helms-Burton Act. In its attempt to prevent foreign investment in the country, pursue Cuban transactions and curtail the normal course of all Cuban operations abroad, the US government resorts to a multiplicity of instruments and forms of pressure through its regulatory agencies.
“This policy of intimidation has hindered and even prevented the payment of Cuba’s membership contribution in international organizations, due to the banks’ refusal to process the transactions. Likewise, more than 50 Cuban diplomatic missions have faced difficulties with the banking entities that traditionally provided them with services, a situation that has affected the operation and sustenance of Cuban embassies and consulates.
“In addition to the examples already mentioned in this report, the annex lists 4 additional cases of extraterritorial enforcement of the blockade between March 2023 and February 2024, including those involving Cuban embassies.”
