Cuba To Present Resolution In May, Seeks Support From Malaysia & International Community

By V. Sankara KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Cuba, which will be presenting for the 28th time the non-binding resolution condemning the unilateral trade embargo imposed by United States (US) on the Caribbean country this May, is confident of getting strong support from Malaysia and the international community. Cuba's Ambassador to Malaysia, Ibete Fernandez Hernandez, said the draft resolution entitled ‘The need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba’ will be tabled during the resumed 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to end economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the US on Cuba for almost 60 years. "Malaysia has always supported Cuba against the embargo and by the principle of its foreign policy is opposed to any kind of unilateral sanctions. "We reiterate our appreciation and hope to once again have Malaysia's vote in favour of our draft resolution which will be tabled at a date to be confirmed later in May this year. "Cuba will continue to denounce it until the embargo is eliminated, “she said at a virtual press conference held with Bernama, on Thursday (Feb 25). The ambassador said the draft resolution was supposed to be tabled at the end of last year, but was postponed to May this year due to the complex health situation brought by COVID-19 pandemic. "The Cuban draft resolution will be presented in a particularly adverse context, marked by the complexities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its direct impact on work at the UN headquarters," she said. In 2019, 187 UN member countries voted in favour of the resolution, tabled by Cuba since 1992. Hernandez had said the financial harm to Cuba in six decades due to the US embargo at current prices amounts to more than US$144 billion till March 2020. Commenting further, the diplomat said in the last four years, there has been a systematic increase in the aggressiveness of US policy against Cuban people and all sovereign states which maintains or attempt to establish economic, commercial and financial relations with Cuba. She said the move by former US President Donald Trump in imposing unprecedented 240 measures during his administration against Cuba, with more than 50 adopted in 2020 alone, illustrated the particular cruelty of this measures against the Cuban people and government. "The inhumane nature of the blockade is exacerbated and even crueller amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "The US government has used this policy, and in particular its extraterritorial component, to deliberately deprive the Cuban people of mechanical lung ventilators, masks, diagnostic kits, protective glasses, suits, gloves, reagents and other supplies necessary for the management of this disease," she added. Hernandez said between 2020 and early 2021, the US State Department expanded the “List of Restricted Cuban Entities” on several occasions which had considerable effects on Cuba's business system and commercial operations, besides deterring some foreign counterparts from engaging or continuing to operate with Cuban entities included in unilateral lists. -- BERNAMA