Mr. President,
My delegation endorses the statement made by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the statements to be made by Uganda and Iraq on behalf of the NAM and the Group of 77 and China, respectively.
The U.S. economic blockade against Cuba goes beyond the term of unilateral extraterritorial coercive measures and the concept of a trade embargo.
It is an absolute and merciless economic war that goes beyond prohibiting trade relations between Cuba and the United States.
Since its inception in 1960, the blockade's purpose has been to lower the standard of living, reduce real incomes, and create hunger, shortages, and despair, seeking to punish the entire population, break its political will, and dominate the nation.
The legislation governing the blockade leaves no doubt about the interventionist, hegemonic, and colonial ambitions of the United States government.
It clearly states the intention to cut Cuba's economic ties with the rest of the world.
Not only does the United States refuses to trade with Cuba—exporting and importing are permitted only under extremely limited and restrictive exceptions, but also intends to persecute, hinder, or sabotage Cuba's commercial transactions with any country of the world. This includes legitimate bilateral and multilateral cooperation programs, assistance projects, and donations.
By doing so, the United States disregards the sovereign prerogatives of third countries. It does not consider the relationship of those countries with Cuba or the right of each nation to interact with Cuba as it sees fit.
These nations are subject to pressure and threats of economic coercion for allowing their governments, companies, and economic entities to interact with Cuba.
But the aggression does not stop there. The U.S. blockade prohibits any country from exporting to Cuba any product produced by its companies and workers if the product contains 10 percent or more components of U.S. origin.
In today's internationalized economy, one must ask how many products on this planet do not contain at least 10 percent of raw materials, components, parts, software, intellectual property, or capital originating in the United States.
It is not difficult to understand the severe restrictions that Cuba has faced and is facing, and that any country would face in order to guarantee its technological development, maintain and expand its infrastructure, and ensure its productive capacity; to obtain inputs for food production, for agricultural development, and to sustain some basic services such as health care, transportation, electricity generation, telecommunications, and education.
Mr. President, the economic blockade extends beyond what I have described.
Due to its disproportionate control over the flow and handling of international financial transactions, the United States has set out to cruelly and efficiently limit Cuba's ability to obtain credit, receive and execute payments, close commercial transactions, transfer money, and open and manage bank accounts anywhere in the world. This makes any financial transaction in Cuba more costly, all of which weighs on the performance of the economy.
The U.S. government takes coercive actions against merchant ships from any country that dock in Cuban ports. The government threatens and takes coercive actions against companies and individuals from any country that, in full compliance with international and Cuban law, invest capital in Cuba's economy.
Still dissatisfied with the level of aggression and damage already caused, in recent years the U.S. government began the criminal practice of pursuing and taking coercive measures against vessels transporting fuel to Cuba, and against the companies, insurance agencies, and reinsurance agencies that support the cargo.
This wartime measure has no legal or moral protection, and its purpose is to create shortages and suffering for the Cuban people.
By baselessly including Cuba on a State Department’s arbitrary and selective list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism, the United States has imposed additional coercive measures, especially financial ones, aimed at coercing and taking actions against citizens of more than 40 other countries, and restricting their right to freely travel to Cuba.
In recent years, the United States has also launched a campaign of intimidation against dozens of countries for exercising their sovereign right to have bilateral health cooperation programs with Cuba. These programs' fundamental purpose is to ensure quality and affordable medical services for the most needy populations.
Mr. President, all of this violates international law and the pillars on which this Organization rests.
The time allotted to me is insufficient to describe the magnitude and scope of the U.S. economic war against Cuba.
This time is not enough to explain how it hinders our economic policies or the effort required of our authorities to guarantee the country's vitality under such aggressive pressure; to implement the necessary economic transformations, ensure social justice, take care of those in need, and not abandon development plans.
It is not enough particularly when it comes to illustrate the cumulative impact on the lives and spirits of Cubans, families, and a self-sacrificing, stoic, and peaceful people.
Unilateral and extraterritorial coercive measures are criminal, and this General Assembly is right to speak out strongly against them. We must stand in solidarity with all nations and peoples suffering such cruel and illegitimate punishment.
Thank you