New York, 25 October 2022. On 3 February 1962, exactly 60 years ago, the then President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, imposed an "embargo" on all trade between the United States and Cuba in compliance with section 620 (a) of the Foreign Assistance Act. This proclamation would go down in history as Presidential Proclamation 3447 and would officially begin the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.
Although the blockade has remained the core of US policy towards Cuba; since 2019 it has escalated to a qualitatively more harmful and inhumane dimension, with a reinforced extraterritorial component.
When analyzing the current Cuban reality, we must add to the effects of such genocidal policy, those related to the multidimensional crisis at the global level in the energy, food, environmental and transportation sectors, and the cumulative impact of two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What exactly is the blockade, and how does it manifest itself today?
The economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba must be understood as the most comprehensive and oldest system of unilateral coercive sanctions against any nation in modern times.
To these have been added 243 measures launched by the Trump administration against Cuba, the vast majority of which remain in force as a continuation of the policy of maximum pressure against the country.
As of the end of July 2022, 37 judicial processes were underway in U.S. courts by virtue of the full application of the Helms-Burton Act --of extraterritorial essence and character--, as a blatant hindrance of Cuba's economic, commercial and financial relations with third countries.
The persecution of the companies, ships and shipping companies that send fuel supplies to the country continues; the attack on all sources of income and foreign currency entering the country remains; third parties are intimidated and pressures on governments, banking institutions and businessmen from all over the world are reinforced, with the aim of isolating Cuba and provoking economic meltdown.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations