Canada Co-Sponsors Anti-Cuba Resolution

The United States succeeded in exerting pressure on Uruguay and other Latin American nations to sponsor its anti-Cuba resolution at the annual United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) meeting in Geneva which concluded recently. The draft resolution was filed on April 10, just 15 minutes before the deadline. The vote took place on April 19. The resolution passed by a vote of 23 in favour, 21 against with nine abstentions. The only Latin American country that voted against the resolution was Venezuela. Brazil and Ecuador abstained, while Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay (the main sponsor) voted in favour.

Many observers were shocked at Mexico's vote, as President Fox had indicated earlier that his government would not align with the U.S. to condemn Cuba at this forum. Chile had also stated that it would not support the anti-Cuba resolution; these reversals make one wonder just what kind of pressure the U.S. exerted on these and other countries to make them take this stand.

For its part, Canada not only voted in favour of the resolution, but also co-sponsored it. Canada had voted against similar resolutions in previous years, making it clear that it would not be dictated to by the U.S. on its relationship with Cuba, both trade and otherwise. In the past, Canada has also taken steps to oppose the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, enacting legislation in 1992 forbidding Canadian companies or Canadian subsidiaries of U.S. companies from complying with the U.S. blockade. However, to date Canada has refused to condemn the conviction in Philadelphia in March of Canadian businessman, James Sabzali, for trading with Cuba. This, as well as its recent position at the UNCHR, indicates that Canada's foreign policy is changing in those areas where it had previously taken more of an independent stand.

Cuba has called the UNCHR resolution a mockery and an insult, and insisted that its promoters lack the moral authority to sponsor such a condemnation. It has also pointed out that even though the vote passed, 30 of the Commission's 53 members did not support it. Among the countries which opposed the resolution were the African nations on the Commission (with the exception of Cameroon, which voted in favour), China, India, and Russia.

Over the past few months, Cuba has been exposing the intrigues the U.S. has carried out to obtain sponsors for its resolution. In the days leading up to the vote in Geneva, the pressure and intrigues increased. These included threats of economic blackmail towards the African nations, which did not succeed.