Cuban Embassy in Egypt said that the blockade to the island are kept intact

Cairo. Cuban Ambassador in Egypt, Laureano Rodríguez Castro, offered, to Egyptian and foreign media, press conference, in which he said that the blockade remains intact despite the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.

 

First Secretary, Alexander Pellicer, who presented the report on the blockade, said that Cuba will present by twenty fourth occasion, on 27 October, the Resolution entitled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba". Pellicer Moraga stressed that this resolution has been the most supported in the history of the United Nations, when last year a total of 191 countries vote in favor of the lifting of the illegal blockade imposed on the Caribbean island.

 

The diplomat put specific examples of sanctions applied to Cuba or institutions of third countries in the last two years, which demonstrates that the character extraterritorial and the bases of the blockade  remain unchanged.

For his part, Ambassador Laureano Rodriguez stressed that the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States did not mean the normalization of ties between the two countries, and only with the lifting of the blockade and the return to Cuba of the territory illegally occupied by the United States at Guantanamo, could speak of normalization of relations.

 

Rodriguez Castro pointed out that the blockade is the main obstacle to the economic development of Cuba, causing the country losses of more than 700 billion dollars, during more than 50 years that lasts this anachronistic policy that violates the most basic principles of international law.

 

He also added that the restrictions imposed by the successive American Governments affect all sectors of the economy, but especially cause a great damage to public health. "The restrictions include medicines and basic medical equipment to care to patients of serious ailments, including children with certain types of cancer". The Ambassador stressed.

 

After explanation, the head of the diplomatic mission agreed to answer the questions of the journalists who attended the press conference on behalf of the media, Egyptian and foreign agencies. (Embacuba Egipto)