UN Votes Against U.S. Blockade of Cuba

On November 4, by a vote of 179 to 3, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution entitled: "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo of the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba". The U.S., Israel and the Marshall Islands voted against the resolution. The UN General Assembly has passed a similar resolution every year since 1992, expressing the will of the international community. Each year the United States has ignored the resolution. Most recently President Bush announced the U.S. intention of not relaxing the blockade, but maintaining and even intensifying it.

Immediately after the UN vote, the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa issued a press release in which it stated: "Once again the United States confirms its isolation in maintaining a criminal policy that violates international law, that damages international commercial and financial relations and that is cruel to the Cuban people. It is a policy rejected on legal and moral grounds, contrary to the principles and goals of the U.N. Charter."

The economic blockade of Cuba by the United States has lasted for more than 40 years. Its comprehensive nature has caused serious damage to Cuba, with an estimated economic loss exceeding US$72 billion dollars. However, the blockade has not succeeded in bending the will of the Cuban people, who remain determined to build their society according to their own ideals. This was the message delivered by Aleida Guevara, who spoke in Winnipeg and 11 other Canadian cities last month as part of a national tour calling for justice for the "Cuban Five", five Cuban patriots currently imprisoned in the U.S.

The campaign to free the "Cuban Five" is linked to the struggle against the U.S. attacks on Cuba. They were fighting U.S.-sponsored terrorism against Cuba, which has included numerous acts of murder, bombings, biological warfare, and other crimes against humanity. Under the current Bush administration, the U.S. government has increased its support for these terrorist acts, which are based out of Miami. For its part, in spite of all the provocations, Cuba has always called for the normalization of relations with the U.S., one of its closest neighbours. It has actively opposed terrorism throughout the world and was one of the first countries to offer sympathy and support to Americans after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre two years ago.

By maintaining the blockade against Cuba, the U.S. is not only flouting world opinion, it is also increasingly going against the desires of many Americans. These include many prominent and influential people, including former President Jimmy Carter and various Senators. Two weeks ago, in a vote of 59 to 38, which was seen as a rebuke to President Bush, the U.S. Senate approved the easing of travel restrictions to Cuba. Although this vote carries no authority, it highlights the demand of many Americans for the overhaul of American sanctions, including trade sanctions, on Cuba.