NBC Radio in Namibia broadcasts an interview with Ambassador Sergio Vigoa de la Uz on the US government's aggressive policy toward Cuba.
The Cuban diplomat comments that, as expected, the new US administration has continued its aggressive policy toward Cuba. "Not because the president was particularly interested in the issue of Cuba, but because his current Secretary of State has been a key player in trying to suffocate the Cuban economy and, consequently, our people, in order to achieve a change of government on the island. That is why the agenda imposed by the Secretary of State has a particular component that has been exploited by the historical enemies of the Revolution, led by representatives and senators of Cuban origin who make up a very powerful political lobby".
Vigoa de la Uz noted that the Trump administration has unleashed a campaign to discredit Cuba's medical and other assistance worldwide, as well as threatening to ban travel to the island and the sending of remittances from Cubans living in the US to their families. "It is evident that these new measures have a direct impact on obtaining financial resources for the development of major social welfare projects in our country".
The ambassador noted that this confrontation dates back to the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. “The US government never wanted to accept that an island, just 90 miles from its shores, considered the backyard of that empire, would liberate itself and decide to create its own political system of social justice that would end the vast social differences that existed in the neocolonial era before 1959. In conclusion, Cuba served as a bad example for the United States and an excellent example for many Latin American and African countries that saw the Cuban model as an option for the development of their nations.
“In essence, US policy toward Cuba remains the same as that announced by an infamous Subsecretary of State named Lester Mallory, who, as early as April 6, 1960 (65 years ago), wrote a memorandum to the President explaining how to put an end to Cuba's revolutionary government.
“That memorandum, after recognizing that the majority of Cubans supported Fidel Castro and that there was no effective political opposition, concluded that the only foreseeable way to alienate domestic support was through disenchantment and discontent based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship. This remains U.S. policy toward Cuba: to suffocate its economy, leading to a major social impact and causing the population to blame the Cuban government for the serious economic problems it has faced since the triumph of the revolution”.
The NBC Radio journalist inquired about how these sanctions affect key sectors of the Cuban economy, to which the diplomat responded that it is impossible to imagine that a small country, without significant natural resources necessary for its economic and social progress, can develop without a full relationship with international trade. “The lack of purchasing material resources for the repair of thermoelectric plants and the US government's relentless pursuit of fuel purchases necessary for electricity production and for the development of agriculture, food production, medicines, and the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies make impossible the dizzying development that these sectors have enjoyed throughout the history of the Cuban revolutionary process”.
The ambassador explained that the countries of the African continent have remained supportive of the cause of the Cuban people. “Our country has denounced in all international forums the US government's policy of silent genocide against the Cuban population.
“We recognize the support of almost all the member countries of the United Nations General Assembly, which for the past 33 years have condemned the US blockade against Cuba and approved the resolution presented by Cuba”.
“We appreciate the important role played by Namibia, which has denounced this genocidal policy every year in the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly and has confirmed its unrestricted support for our Revolution and its people with its favorable vote. It has played a similar role in the African Union, where for several consecutive years it has presented a resolution at the Summit of that organization, unanimously approved, against the blockade of Cuba”.
Regarding the question of how to find alternative avenues for trade, the Cuban representative emphasized that Cuba has had to seek alternatives that can alleviate the effects of the blockade for more than 60 years, and that South-South cooperation plays an important role in this regard, in addition to the mechanisms Cuba has been using in the BRICS countries, the Eurasian Economic Council, and other economic groups that allow for fairer trade.
The ambassador reaffirmed the island's government's commitment to improving the Cuban people's standard of living by breaking the web of sanctions deliberately imposed by the United States. “The survival of the Cuban Revolution, despite this hostile policy of the most powerful empire in existence, has been marked by the concept of unity, championed by our Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, and by Cuba's prestige in the international arena, earned through the efforts of our people, their resilience, and, above all, the rule of truth.
“Our president has called on Cubans, amid increasing sanctions against Cuba, to continue developing through creative resistance. We cannot wait for the U.S. government to lift the genocidal blockade; we must continue to find our own alternatives”.
