Vienna, February 1. The Austrian-Cuban Friendship Association (Österreichisch-Kubanische Gesellschaft, ÖKG) has issued a public statement strongly condemning the US government's new escalation of aggression towards Cuba, specifically its actions to prevent oil supplies to the island with the aim of “provoking a humanitarian crisis.”
In the statement, the ÖKG denounces that the US administration, after more than six decades of a “criminal and unjust economic, commercial, and financial blockade,” is now seeking to deliver “the final blow” by taking advantage of the crisis it has itself created. The association rejects the justifications presented by President Trump's government, calling them “blatant lies” used as a pretext for a policy of aggression. It also defends the sovereign right of Cuba and other countries to maintain trade relations, and stresses that the Cuban people, “conscious, courageous, and revolutionary,” will not turn against their government because of these “unilateral coercive measures.”
The statement, signed by its president, Hermann Pernerstorfer, does not limit itself to condemnation, but makes specific and concrete demands on three key actors: the United States, the European Union, and the Austrian government.
This statement is part of a wave of international solidarity with Cuba, which has intensified in response to recent US measures and has been widely reported by media outlets and related organizations around the world, including several political forces in Austria.
(EmbaCubaAustria)