This 26th of October, at the United Nations General Assembly, the international community will deliberate for the 25th consecutive time on the item related to the need to put an end to the US economic blockade against Cuba, and a resolution will once again be tabled calling for the lifting of the sanctions.
The text of the resolution will reflect the current status of bilateral relations between Cuba and the United States; Cuba’s appreciation of the step taken in restoring diplomatic relations and the U.S. President's expression of willingness to work towards the total lifting of the sanctions, reaffirmed during his visit to Cuba this year.
Despite the resumption of Cuba-US diplomatic relations, the reopening of embassies over a year ago, and President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba in March 2016, the U.S. economic, commercial and financial sanctions against Cuba remain firmly in place. They constitute a major stumbling block for the process of eventually normalizing relations between the two countries.
The U.S. government continues to ban exports to Cuba of products and equipment which are crucial to key sectors of the economy, while the persistence of the sanctions deprives Cuba from freely exporting products and services to the United States. Furthermore, Cuba cannot have direct banking relations with the US or receive American investments in any sector of the economy, except in telecommunications, with clear subversive objectives.
While authorization has been granted for visits by U.S. citizens to Cuba under general license in 12 very specific categories and although scheduled commercial flights have been restored between the two countries, U.S. citizens – in violation of their constitutional rights – are still banned from vacationing freely in Cuba, the only country in the world subject to such treatment.
The economic damages caused to the Cuban people, based on very conservative estimates and taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against gold in the international market, amounts to $753,688,000,000, despite the decline in the price of gold compared with 2015. At current prices, the cumulative cost of the blockade to the Cuban people totals $125,873,000,000. Between March 2015 and March 2016, the cost to Cuba of the sanctions amounted to $4,680,300,000 at current prices.
The President of the United States enjoys wide executive powers to continue adjusting the enforcement of the current regulations against Cuba. This would enable him, if used decisively, to virtually dismantle the sanctions policy (although its complete elimination requires a decision by Congress).
The economic blockade against Cuba must be removed unilaterally and unconditionally. It is the most unjust, severe and prolonged system of sanctions ever imposed on any country, and remains a flagrant, massive and systematic violation of the human rights of the Cuban people. It constitutes the greatest obstacle to developing the full potential of the economy and the wellbeing of the Cuban people.