Dear friends:
It is an honor to attend this new edition of the International Conference on normalization between Cuba and the United States. I thank the organizers of the event for the kind invitation they extended to us to be present at this important event.
On behalf of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations, I wish to convey to you our warmest greetings and esteem for making these days of fraternity and friendship towards Cuba possible.
We are grateful for the innumerable displays of sensitivity and humanism, which we deeply value and which demonstrate the desire of broad sectors in this country to strengthen their ties with Cuba and put an end to all hostility towards our nation.
You will have the opportunity to exchange on the fight against the COVID19 pandemic, climate change and the advancement of women. These are issues of the greatest importance and Cuba makes enormous efforts to achieve standards on a par with the most developed nations, despite the unfair siege imposed on us.
The Panel on issues of advancement of women and gender parity, will have among its panelists Mrs. Teresa Amarelle Boué, General Secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women, as well as other members of this organization that emerged as a result of the Revolution, and without whose contribution it would not have been possible for Cuban women to achieve the prominence that they have today in our society.
Currently, the FMC promotes greater rights for women through the National Program for the Advancement of Women, as well as through the Family Code project, which is discussed by the Cuban population in an exercise of widely participatory democracy.
Dear friends:
Today more than ever the support we receive from you takes on special significance. Cuba is under an unprecedented siege. During the government of President Donald Trump, a brutal attack was carried out against the well-known process of improving relations between the two countries undertaken with the administration of President Obama.
Since then, the US policy towards Cuba has sought by all means to suffocate the Cuban economy, for which it uses the application of a wide range of unilateral coercive measures, some of them unprecedented. To cite just a few examples, we are talking about the international persecution of the supply of fuel to our country, the intimidation and fines of those banks or financial entities that operate with Cuba, the implementation of cruel restrictions on the sending of remittances from the US to Cuba, the obstacles to travel between the two countries, which has significantly affected Cuban families.
Under what logic could the idea of inflicting direct damage on children, parents and grandparents through measures like these be understood? What inhumane policy is one that seeks to divide families and try to make an entire town succumb to necessities?
It should be remembered that during the four years of Trump's presidency, more than 240 measures were adopted against Cuba, including those that reinforced the blockade. In addition to those already mentioned, others stand out, such as the full implementation of the Helms-Burton Act to extend the extraterritorial scope of the blockade, and even the implausible and slanderous inclusion of Cuba on the list of States that sponsor terrorism drawn up by the Department state unilaterally.
What makes the aforementioned attack against Cuba more abominable is the context in which it occurred. Once the COVID-19 pandemic was unleashed worldwide and to the extent that its effects began to be devastating on the health and economies of all countries, the previous US government took this as an opportunity to further exacerbate the effects of the blockade and the suffering on the Cuban people. In this way, COVID-19 became an ally in the policy of hostility towards Cuba, at a time when the world needs more brotherhood and more solidarity than ever.
The hostile actions reached the point of hindering people and solidarity organizations around the world from sending donations and medical supplies to Cuba for the response to COVID-19. There are no qualifiers to describe how abhorrent this policy is.
Unfortunately, the current Democratic administration in the US has not meant any change in US policy towards Cuba. Despite his election campaign promises, President Joe Biden has not changed the burden of the blockade at all, even keeping unchanged all the measures taken by his predecessor.
Instead of promoting exchange and cooperation for the sake of mutual interest and that of the region, the current US government chose to intensify an internal destabilization campaign in Cuba, promoting false opinion patterns through digital platforms and letting the blockade the wear and tear on Cuban society continues.
Friends of Cuba:
On February 3rd, 60 years were celebrated since the official promulgation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba, through the signing of a decree by President John F. Kennedy, that same day in 1962. After said promulgation , over the years the blockade was strengthened and expanded with the adoption of legislation and new regulations. Therefore, this shameful anniversary is reached with a much more intensified blockade and one that is consolidated as the longest and most comprehensive system of unilateral coercive measures applied against any country.
How many more years are they planning to make the Cuban people suffer from this cruel policy? To what extent will immorality and insensitivity go to not understand that said blockade causes incalculable damage to human beings?
At this juncture, Cuba's friends in the United States and in other parts of the world represent indispensable support for the Cuban people in their resistance and struggle for dignity. We know that you are advocating in your respective communities for justice to be done in the face of our claims and you are decisively calling for the immediate end of the infamous blockade. It is for this and much more that we owe them eternal gratitude.
Dear Friends:
To conclude, I wish to reiterate that the Cuban people and their Revolution will continue to firmly defend our right to be sovereign. Despite blockades and aggressions, we will continue to resist.
Despite pandemics, we will continue to persevere. Our efforts have allowed us the feat of developing three proprietary vaccines and two vaccine candidates against COVID-19 under extremely adverse circumstances.
No matter how big the challenges are, we will overcome them, because Cuba is not alone.
We wish you fruitful deliberations during this important conference. We know it will be a successful event.
Thank you very much
Source: Permanent Mission of Cuba to the UN