Declaration of the Commission for International Relations of the National Assembly.
Oct 07, 2017
The Commission for International Relations of the National Assembly of the People´s Power of the Republic of Cuba has announced the following Declaration against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba:
The Members of Parliament that are members of the Commission for International Relations of the National Assembly of the People´s Power,
Recalling that the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba, since it was first implemented in October 1960, seeks to overthrow the Revolutionary Government and to bring Cuba back to the relationship of subordination to which it was subjected between 1898 and 1958;
Recalling that, in April 1960, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, Lester D. Mallory, expressed in a secret memorandum: "The majority of Cubans support Castro… The only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship... Every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba… a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government”;
Recalling that, in 1996, the blockade acquired the standing of law, with the purpose that sanctions against Cuba could be sustained over time;
Recognizing that the blockade is a massive and flagrant violation of the human rights of the Cuban people and the major obstacle to the development of Cuba´s economy and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals;
Noting that the cumulative figure of damages caused by the blockade for nearly six decades of implementation is 822.280 billion dollars, taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against the international price of gold and that at current prices the blockade has provoked damages that amount to more than 130.178,6 billion dollars. Only between April 2016 and June 2017 the blockade has resulted in losses to Cuba of around 4.305,4 billion dollars;
Stressing that the financial and extraterritorial scope of the law is maintained, with the imposition of fines on foreign companies that have commercial relations with Cuba, as well as the denial or refusal of banks and international financial institutions to engage in operations with the island for fear of being fined;
Knowing that the human and economic damages caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba are increasing;
Emphasizing that since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has requested in 25 resolutions the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States of America against Cuba, and that 191 Member States of the United Nations supported the most recent resolution A/RES/71/5, adopted on 26 October 2016;
Knowing that there has been a setback in bilateral relations between the United States and Cuba and that the United States government has decided to tighten the economic, commercial and financial blockade by imposing new obstacles to the already limited possibilities of its business community to trade and invest in Cuba and additional restrictions to its citizens to travel to our country;
We declare that:
We reject any policy that is contrary to the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations;
We condemn the policy of economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba;
We encourage the United States Congress to heeding the call of the majority of numerous sectors of the United States society to put an end to the blockade, thus ending this unwieldy policy against Cuba;
We urge parliamentarians across the world to reinforce the international demand to put an end to this policy that adversely affects the rights of the Cuban people; and
We call upon parliamentarians from all nations to support their respective foreign ministries in further supporting the draft resolution entitled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba", to be presented once again to the General Assembly next November 1.
Havana, 6 October 2017.