The US spends more money harassing Cuba than on combating terrorism
Campaign News | Wednesday, 28 September 2005
Cuban deputy minister in Havana presents Cuba’s Report on Resolution 59/11 of the United Nations General Assembly ? This year’s vote on the Resolution set for November 8
BY NAVIL GARCÍA ALFONSO -Granma International staff writer
To read Cuba's report to the UN on the genocidal effects of the blockade go to:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/septiembre/mar27/informe.html
THE United States is spending more money trying to prevent trade with Cuba than on combating terrorism in its own country. That can be confirmed by an analysis of how the U.S. government steadily intensified the blockade of the island this past year in a bid to defeat the "communist Revolution" once and for all.
Upon presenting the report The Necessity for Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States against Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Padilla, first deputy minister of foreign affairs, affirmed that "the blockade is a basic element of the state terrorism that the Northern government is waging against the island."
In that context, it is sparing no effort and not confining itself to violating the constitutional rights of its own citizens, to whom it denies any link with Cuba, not to mention the damage that it is wreaking on the Cuban economy and other countries that it penalizes for trying to approach Cuba.
For more than 40 years, U.S. policy on Cuba has been characterized by an aggressiveness that has increased in recent times. Now, the island is once again presenting a detailed report to the UN on how the Cuban people are affected by the intensification of economic restrictions against the island.
"Because the blockade’s measures include so many elements and affect every nook and cranny of our country’s economy, it is impossible to do a meticulous estimate, but conservatively speaking, it can be affirmed that financial losses for Cuba amount to more than $82 billion," Rodríguez added.
One has only to consider that the measures against Cuba complicate its foreign trade relations, forcing it to deal with geographically distant markets, with the corresponding higher prices and transportation costs.
The heavy restrictions placed by the United States go against international trade system regulations, given that Cuba cannot pay by credit, and must make all payments in cash and before ships leave shore, multiplying costs two- or threefold.
Outside of Cuba, the blockade has affected both human beings and companies, NGOs and businesspeople who have developed supposedly "illegal" trade relations, according to the northern country’s Torricelli and Helms-Burton Acts.
"In 2004, for example, a total of 77 companies and banking institutions from around the world were fined by the U.S. government for what it considered actions in violation of the blockade laws."
Moreover, Rodríguez explained, the blockade now classifies as an act of genocide, on the basis of the Geneva Convention and International Humanitarian Law, which condemn the use of coercive measures, particularly in the areas of food or medicine, even during wartime. "In the time leading up to the U.S. aggression against Iraq, for example, the suppression of food and medicine was never considered among the sanctions against that country," he noted.
Under no circumstance can maintaining the blockade justified, when the international scene has changed and the world’s reaction is one of rapprochement to the island. Even less so when governments of a markedly pro-war tendency attempt to keep Cuba isolated by putting pressure on the weaker countries in order to get them to join in their political farces.
Repressive measures also affect U.S. citizens who travel to Cuba or who buy Cuban-made products, even if they are for consumption outside of the United States.
"We are sure that the U.S. people are not insensitive to what is happening, given that there is greater access to information today, and on other occasions, they have shown themselves to be aware of delicate situations like what happened during the war on Viet Nam or when the child Elián González was kidnapped," the Cuban deputy minister added.
"But it happens that there is no democracy in the United States, which is why the people there who know the truth about Cuba are ignored by a system that is constantly lying. If the U.S. people could really express their opinions in a legitimate democracy, a government like the present one in the U.S. would immediately be revoked," Rodríguez stated.
For Cuba, the vote by the UN General Assembly 12 years ago was the best evidence that the world is against the economic restrictions. Every time UN member countries have voted on eliminating the blockade, more have voted against it.
In 2004, 179 countries voted to end the blockade, which is the longest and cruelest in the history of humanity.
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2005/septiembre/mier28/40resolucion-i.html
The U.S. blockade against Cuba affects the children suffering from cancer
New York, Sept 26: Although the U.S. blockade against the one Cuba affects all domains of the society, where it becomes truly traumatic is regarding Public Health, according to Bruno Rodríguez Padilla, Cuban Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, during his speech at the UN.
He explained how U.S. interferes in the purchase of the medications for chronic patients; including the sitostatics serums for children having cancer.
Their feeble objective of overthrowing the Cuban Revolution was planned since 1960, when it was said that we would be surrendered by hunger and by the illnesses.
The total amount of the affectations to our economy ascends in these 45 years to over 82 billions of dollars, plus the 54 thousand millions losses caused by sabotages or values not being produced.
Cuba can't use the dollar in trading exchanges, the same in credits and American subsidiaries have forbidden to trade with our country.
In 2004, 77 companies and bank facilities were fined for violating the rules set by the blockade.
The initial pretexts to block us have already disappeared and, as with the leaf of vine, they go to the usual topic of the violations of Human Rights in Cuba.
This politics is qualified as an anachronic and obsolete act of war that won't succeed in making us give up on defending our Revolution.
http://www.ahora.cu/english/SECTIONS/health/2005/septiembre/27-09-05b.htm
