The government of Cuba has lamented that the United States (US) economic blockade on it has resulted in a loss of over $9, 157.2 million from April 2019 to December 2020.
The Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Clara Margarita disclosed this in Abuja while addressing Journalists on the recent Cuba news as well as the effect of the blockade and COVID-19 and the Cuba response to the pandemic.
According to the envoy, Cuba is going through a difficult time in the economic field due to the combined effect of the tightening of the US blockade against Cuba as well as the economic difficulty occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
She disclosed that the blockade is affecting the ability of the economy of Cuba to generate resources and to respond to the needs of the population.
“The blockade that was already damaging Cuba economy was increased by the Donald Trump’s administration with 243 additional measures to make already complex situation facing the country even more difficult. Some of these measures were even taken during the pandemic, which demonstrates the criminal and inhumane character of this regime of unilateral sanctions against Cuba.
“For Cuba, those restrictions magnify the many challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple its devastating socioeconomic, health-related and financial impact.
“The measures have repeatedly hampered the arrival of humanitarian aid in the country which, in the context of addressing the pandemic, immoral and unjustifiable and highlights the blockades criminal nature.
“The economy, that is heavily dependent on tourism, one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic all over the world, and on the exports of products less consume in times like this, has been hit hard.
“Cuban commercial and financial activity face further obstacles owing to the intensification of the extraterritorial effects of the blockade.”
Clara Margarita, therefore, urged the US President, Joe Biden to use his executive power to modify the implementation of the blockade, its humanitarian and economic impact.
PIAK
