Washington, February 24
The World Conference of Mayors and the Historical Alliance of Black Peoples and Settlements issued a resolution in favor of the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba.
In addition, they advocated the establishment of links in trade, tourism, technology transfer and training between the towns and cities of both nations and other mayors of the world, which would mean building bridges of goodwill.
Founded in April 1984, this nonprofit organization is made up of mayors, former mayors, and local elected or appointed public officials.
Its president, CEO and founder is Ambassador Johnny Ford, former Mayor of the city of Tuskegee, Alabama.
The World Conference of Mayors (WCM) is an entity through which municipal, national and foreign leaders establish relationships of trust and create trade and investment opportunities.
For Cuban experts, a true normalization, in addition to understanding full diplomatic relations between the two countries, must materialize in the elimination of the hostility that characterizes the United States' policy towards Cuba after January 1, 1959.
In this sense, they warn, the first thing must be the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade that has lasted more than 60 years, although it officially dates from February 3, 1962, the date on which the then Democratic president John F. Kennedy signed Executive Order 3447.
However, the most immediate antecedent of this unilateral economic war was the secret memorandum by Lester Mallory, Undersecretary of State in the Dwight Eisenhower administration (1953-1961).
On April 6, 1960, the official advised depriving Cuba “of money and supplies, to reduce its financial resources and real wages, cause hunger, despair and the overthrow of the Government”, a line that remains unchanged six decades later.
During his term, Republican Donald Trump (2017-2021) reinforced the blockade with 243 coercive measures still in force with Joe Biden, his Democratic successor.
Source: Prensa Latina