New York, March 26, 2018.At the general debate of the Commemorative Meeting of the UN General Assembly to Mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Permanent Representative of the island to the international organization, Ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, stated that it would be an unforgivable historic mistake to ignore or pretend to forget the terrible fate of millions of men, women and children who for more than four centuries were torn from their homelands in Africa and forcibly shipped to the Americas.
The Cuban diplomat highlighted the special significance of the commemoration of this day for the Cuban people, whose nationality formation was influenced by the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. She also stressed the role played by African slaves and their descendants in the different stages of the struggle for the definitive liberation of the island. "From them we inherit the combative spirit and the love for freedom that characterizes us," she said.
Rodríguez Camejo recognized the slave trade as a crime against humanity that does not prescribe and pointed out that the main beneficiaries of the conquest and colonization, of slavery and the slave trade, must assume their historical responsibility and compensation for the horrendous crimes committed.
Analyzing the phenomenon of slavery in the 21st century, the Cuban Ambassador expressed concern for the nearly 40 million people who are subjected to similar conditions at present and reiterated Cuba's call to the international community to adopt urgent measures to put an end to contemporary forms of slavery and other similar practices, which constitute flagrant violations of the human rights of the people affected.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations