U.N. vote to end U.S. blockade demands: ‘Let Cuba live!’

New York City

Since 1992 the United Nations General Assembly has voted annually on the criminal U.S. blockade of socialist Cuba. Each year the vote has been overwhelming for ending this blockade that began in 1962 as a weapon wielded by U.S. imperialism to prevent other countries from trading vital goods and parts with this country of 11 million people that chose a socialist path of development with its historic Jan. 1, 1959, revolution. 

On Oct. 29 and 30, 2024, U.N. representatives of many countries spoke out against the blockade, calling it a violation of international law and unlawful punishment towards the Cuban people. Various Caribbean, African and Latin American delegates spoke on the ongoing humanitarian aid that Cuba provides for their respective developing countries, especially health care. 

Before the actual vote took place on Oct. 30, Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, spoke before the UNGA on the impact that the blockade has had on the economy, causing tremendous hardships for the Cuban population, including recent electrical power outages due to a lack of parts denied to their outdated electrical grid. 

Foreign Minister Rodríguez said that the Cuban economy has lost over $1.6 trillion in international trade as well as tourism since the blockade began. Despite the devastating impact of the blockade, he said the Cuban government and its people would not be deterred from continuing to build and defend socialism as their right to self-determination. He concluded his remarks with “Let Cuba live!” 

Rodríguez’s comments were greeted with sustained applause by the majority of delegates along with Cuba solidarity activists sitting in the General Assembly balcony. 

The symbolic vote was then taken — 187 countries voting yes to end the blockade; the U.S. and Israel voting no with one abstention. 

Following the Oct. 30 vote, the U.S. delegate defended the blockade using false arguments to “support” the Cuban people. In response, the Cuban ambassador to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, presented a powerful rebuttal for the unfounded U.S. accusations. 

The Cuban ambassador’s remarks have been translated below by the Mundo Obrero staff. 

Cuban ambassador responds to U.S. lies

Mr. Chairman:

Every year the United States delegation has resorted to lies and manipulation to justify the blockade against Cuba. Every year its isolation grows along with the international loss of credibility that this criminal policy generates.

Regarding criticism of the government’s management of the Cuban economy:

Displaying a cynicism that seems to know no bounds, they hold the Cuban government responsible for the impact caused by the asphyxiating economic siege imposed on our country.

List of State Sponsors of Terrorism

We have not heard a single word from the U.S. representative about the absurd unilateral designation of Cuba as a country allegedly sponsoring terrorism, which many delegations have rejected yesterday and today in this room. The only purpose of this arbitrary measure is to reinforce the blockade and cause more damage to Cuban families.

Alleged U.S.-Cuba trade and aid

They vainly try to deceive this Assembly by citing false figures of alleged exports and humanitarian aid to Cuba.

They cynically use the multi-million dollar amounts of funds from the United States Agency for International Development earmarked for subversion in Cuba, as well as the aid sent to their families by Cuban migrants or the modest donations that, overcoming the numerous obstacles of the blockade, non-governmental organizations manage to send to our country.

They try to present themselves as benefactors of the Cuban people while they intensify their economic war to make our economy collapse.

The U.S. government claims to be a trading partner of Cuba. However, it prohibits the use of the dollar in our transactions. It plans reprisals against any nation that sells to us products with more than 10% U.S. components or exports to the U.S. any product containing Cuban raw materials.

Criticism of human rights 

In order to sustain their hostility and the blockade, the U.S. deliberately distorts and manipulates the issue of human rights. The United States has no moral authority whatsoever to lecture Cuba or any other nation in this regard. We all know very well how they opportunistically use the issue of human rights to justify their hegemonic and interventionist actions.

The United States government, which has not ratified 62% of the main international human rights treaties, is responsible for extrajudicial executions, kidnappings and torture. It maintains in a legal limbo — without defense, courts or due process — prisoners in the Cuban territory that is illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base.

While proclaiming itself a champion of human rights, the United States brutally represses the peaceful protests of university students who denounce the complicity of their government with the genocide committed against the Palestinian people.

The United States is by far the nation with the highest number of gun-related homicides and mass shootings. Last year alone, at least 656 mass shootings occurred in this country, and more than 43,000 people died as a result of gun violence. That is an average of 118 deaths per day. No other country comes close to those chilling figures.

Police brutality is part of everyday American reality. It is not surprising that in a country where racial discrimination is systemic, African Americans suffer disproportionately from the use of lethal force and are almost three times more likely to be killed by police than whites.

What human rights can a country seriously talk about where children can be tried as adults and sentenced to life imprisonment, and more than ten thousand children are in adult prisons.

Closing

If the United States really cared about the welfare of Cubans and respected democracy, it would listen to the majority of its citizens, who support lifting the blockade of Cuba.

If the U.S. truly advocated for human rights in Cuba, it would immediately lift the blockade, which is a flagrant, massive and systematic violation of the human rights of the Cuban people.

If it respected the international community, the U.N. Charter and international law, it would comply with the 32 resolutions passed by this General Assembly demanding the end of the blockade against Cuba.

I conclude by reiterating, on behalf of the Cuban people and government, our profound gratitude to all the governments that with their voice and vote have supported Cuba’s legitimate demand that the blockade be lifted once and for all.