Paris, 18 February 2025. — On Wednesday afternoon, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to UNESCO, María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, met with the Director-General of the Organization, Dr. Khaled El-Enany. In that context, she provided a detailed explanation of the negative impact on Cuba of the executive order signed by the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, on January 29.
In this regard, the diplomat denounced this new and brutal act of aggression aimed at reinforcing the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government against Cuba for more than 65 years, which has been tightened year after year. “With this decision, the U.S. government seeks, through threats and coercion against third countries, to reinforce the economic strangulation measures imposed since Trump’s first term,” the representative of the Island stated, explaining that the recent actions are intended to impose a total siege on fuel supplies and to sanction third States that maintain legitimate trade relations with Cuba.
She added that such measures contravene international trade rules and violate the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, while constituting a serious affront to peace and multilateralism, as well as a challenge to State sovereignty.
She further elaborated on the damage this genocidal policy has caused to the Cuban people, severely affecting all sectors of national life, particularly highly sensitive areas such as health and education, and representing the main obstacle to the country’s economic development. She nevertheless underscored the resilience of the Cuban people and the will of the Cuban government to move forward despite the brutal pressures from Washington.
While acknowledging the complexity of the current situation in the country, the Ambassador referred to the measures being adopted to confront and mitigate the effects of the recent actions orchestrated by the U.S. government against Cuba, emphasizing in this context the importance of international solidarity and support for these efforts.
For his part, the Director-General recognized the impact of the situation in the areas under UNESCO’s mandate, highlighting the work carried out on the ground by the Organization’s Regional Office based in Havana, and reaffirming his willingness to strengthen cooperation and support.
The Ambassador expressed her appreciation for UNESCO’s annual contribution to the report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the impact of the U.S. blockade against Cuba. In this regard, both parties agreed on the importance of reflecting in that document the repercussions of the new measures in the fields of education, science, culture, communication, and information, as well as on the work carried out by the Regional Office in Havana.
The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. Also present were the Director for Relations with Member States, Mr. Dov Lynch, and the Head of the Latin America and the Caribbean Section of UNESCO’s External Relations Sector, Ms. Joyce Monteiro, as well as the Third Secretary of the Permanent Delegation of Cuba, Ms. Laura Alvarez Delgado.