Madam President,
We endorse the statements made by Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and by Venezuela on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations.
My delegation is honored to co-authored resolution 80/106, by virtue of which this meeting is being held. Cuba raises its voice from a history marked by resistance. As a nation that has suffered under and fought against colonialism, we cannot remain silent while this scourge persists anywhere in the world.
The adoption of the historic Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples 65 years ago was an act of justice and hope for peoples oppressed by this unjust and degrading form of domination.
Honoring it requires more than words. It requires political will, collective action, and the definitive eradication of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations. This includes economic blockades, unilateral coercive measures, and new hegemonic practices that impose foreign economic models, political systems, regime changes, and cultural patterns that are not of the interest of the peoples.
After centuries of anti-colonial struggle, the anachronistic Monroe Doctrine's renewed colonialist pretensions loom over our region today, threatening the principles of the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.
In this context, we resolutely condemn the United States government's threats and use of force against Venezuela, including the extraordinary and offensive military deployment in the Caribbean Sea under the false pretext of fighting drugs, the persistent interference in Venezuelan airspace, and the psychological warfare against the Venezuelan people. These actions constitute flagrant violations of the UN Charter and international law.
We also reject the naval blockade announced by the United States government against Venezuela, which is a serious violation of international law and an escalation of aggression against the Bolivarian government. Added to this are unilateral coercive measures, economic suffocation, and smear campaigns against that country. We stand in solidarity with its people and government.
We reaffirm our total and unwavering support for President Nicolás Maduro, the Bolivarian and Chavez’s Revolution, and its Popular-Military Union. We also reject the aggressive and neocolonialist interests of the United States in the strongest possible terms.
We reiterate our solidarity with the people of Puerto Rico, who continue to be denied their right to self-determination. The colonial reality on this Latin American and Caribbean island cannot be hidden. Cuba will continue to support this sisterly people in their legitimate struggle for independence.
We support Argentina's legitimate and sovereign rights to the Malvinas Islands, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the surrounding maritime areas.
In accordance with Resolution 1514 (XV), we advocate for a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution that leads to the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We oppose unilateral decisions that disregard the interests and rights of the Sahrawi people, including autonomy without sovereignty, which violates international law, the UN Charter, and UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 (XV) and 2625 (XXV).
Humanity owes an immeasurable debt to the Palestinian people, who have suffered for decades from Israel's illegal colonization policies and practices. Every child killed, every family displaced, and every hospital destroyed is an irrefutable evidence of a genocide that must end now.
Madam President,
Colonialism is not a vestige of the past. It is an open wound for those who suffered under it. Caribbean and African nations deserve reparations for the horrors of colonialism and slavery. It is urgent that this historical debt be repaid.
The cause of decolonization will remain unfinished until all forms of colonial domination and occupation are banished forever. Cuba will continue to defend the right of peoples to freely determine their destiny and build a future of well-being, socioeconomic progress, independence, sovereignty, and dignity.
Thank you