Cuban Embassy here wants U.S. blockade lifted

The Charge d’Affairs of the Republic of Cuba in Liberia, Yordenis Despaigne Vera, says the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States against Cuba for almost 60 years still persists and continues to cause suffering to the Cuban people. He laments that the blockade is the most important obstacle to the economic development of Cuba.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, October 23, 2017 at the Embassy of Cuba in Congo Town, outside Monrovia Mr. Vera notes that on June 16, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the National Security Presidential Memorandum on strengthening U.S. policy towards Cuba, explain that this directive establishes a new policy that proclaims as one of its main objectives, tightening of the blockade against the island.

The Cuban Envoy continues that President Trump announced the adoption of new coercive measures against Cuba and the reversal of others that were adopted by his predecessor that had modified the implementation of some aspects of the blockade in the areas of travel and trade.

According to him, President Trump proclaims the United States will oppose all demands in favor of lifting the blockade at the United Nations and other international forums, in an open challenge to views expressed by the overwhelming majority of the international community as well as the public opinion of broad sectors of the U.S. society.

“Some of the new policies President Trump announced on our country are; prohibition of economic, commercial and financial transactions of the U.S. companies and entities with Cuban companies and entities linked to the Armed Forces or the Ministry of Interior, elimination of individual travels under the category of people to people exchanges, amongst others.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Vera says former President Barack Obama was putting in some measures to lift the blockade from the Cuban people, saying that when President Trump came to power, he put stop to all the proposals made by President Obama in lifting the blockade. “The blockade against Cuba should cease, it is most unjust, severe and longest-standing unilateral sanctions system ever imposed against any country, the U.S. Government should totally and unconditionally lift the blockade against Cuba”, he further laments.

The Cuban Envoy says his government will be consistent with the overwhelming appeal of the international community and the majority opinion of many different voices in the United States in calling for an end to something he terms as unjust policy.

Strained ties between the United States and the Republic of Cuba dates back to 59 during the Cold War between America and the then Soviet Union when the late Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro led an armed revolt thru his 26th of July Movement and its allies against the right-wing authoritarian government of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, who subsequently fled the country.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Editing by Jonathan Browne