Cuba says it will protest the economic blockade placed on it by the United States at the next United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) taking place in September this year as the country calls for international and multilateral interventions to lift the blockade.
The Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, Ms. Clara Escandell, made the call in Abuja while briefing journalists on the impact of the six-decade economic sanctions of the U.S on Cuba.
U.S first imposed an embargo on the sale of arms to Cuba on March 14, 1958, and another embargo on export in 1960.
The embargo prevents American businesses and businesses with commercial activities in the U.S from conducting trade with Cuban interest. It has been described as the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.
Ms. Escandell said that the economic blockade has not only affected the economy of Cuba but also the Citizens as most Cubans were born under the economic coercive measure.
According to the envoy, Cuba has in the past six decades lost over 1 trillion dollars as a result of the economic blockade as Cuba cannot transact businesses or get any form of support from the U.S or its allies.
“To put the blockade to an end, it does not only require political will from the American government but also there is the need to put new laws to put an end to laws that have been approved by the U.S parliament.
“The blockade means Cuba cannot trade, import from the U.S; we cannot receive tourists; cannot use the dollars in our foreign exchange and we know that the international economy is fixed on dollars.
“We cannot use credit cards from several financial institutions; this affects our economic, trade relations.
“Cuba lost over 1 trillion U.S dollars in more than 60 years of blockade, almost U.S $150, 000, 000 at current prices, which is a very big figure.
“But considering the depreciation of U.S gold on international market, …plus 19 percent, it will be more than 1 trillion dollars.
“From April 2019 to April 2020, we lost more than 5 billion dollars and that is not inclusive of the lost during the COVID,” Ms. Escandell disclosed.
The envoy added that the effect of the economic blockade was felt hard in Cuba during the COVID-19 pandemic as they could not get medicines from the U.S or donations from a third party ally to the U.S.
“The impact of the blockade again is restricting Cuba from importing medicines from the U.S, which is even going after any institution that tries to export to Cuba.
“At the beginning of COVID- 19, Chinese billionaire, Ali Baba, made some donations to Cuba as he did to other countries and he contracted a third company to airlift the donations to Cuba.
“The U.S stopped the company from bringing the donations to Cuba and that is why we always say U.S act of blockade against Cuba is a real genocide against our people.”
On the COVID-19 vaccine, Ms. Escandell said Cuba’s vaccine was in its third stage of trial. According to her, “once it is concluded; Cuba will collaborate with Nigeria to make it available to Nigerians”.
She said Cuba was, however, optimistic of the blockade being lifted under the Biden-Harris administration as, according to her, the Cuban government is open to talks with the U.S.
The Cuban Envoy expressed appreciation to the African Union for adopting a resolution backing the Cuban position and making a strong request for the blockade to be removed.
Amaka E. Nliam
