Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced in an exclusive interview with teleSUR the intensification of US pressure on the international community to maintain the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba, and reaffirmed that the UN General Assembly will vote again in favor of its elimination.
In a conversation with journalist Marcela Rodríguez, the Cuban Foreign Minister highlighted that the debate held at the United Nations General Assembly included the participation of more than seven groups of countries, including the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 and China, who spoke on behalf of more than 100 states each, in addition to 22 individual national interventions.
Rodríguez emphasized that the majority of member countries spoke out “in defense of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the demand for the immediate and unconditional cessation of the blockade against Cuba,” as well as against the unjustified inclusion of the country on the US list of alleged sponsors of terrorism.
He noted that Cuba is attending this debate amid a complex context: the imminent arrival of Hurricane Melissa, which threatens eastern Cuba and several Caribbean islands, and the persistence of a blockade that worsens the island’s humanitarian and economic situation.
During the interview, Rodríguez explained that his address to the plenary session will focus on three main topics. First, he will address the humanitarian and everyday damage the blockade is inflicting on Cuban families: power outages, food and medicine shortages, the transportation crisis, and the loss of purchasing power. “These damages transcend the macroeconomic level; they impact the lives of every Cuban,” he noted.
Second, the minister addressed the US government’s policy of aggression toward Latin America, which he described as an attempt to reestablish the Monroe Doctrine and reimpose the “gunboat policy” through military deployment against Venezuela and the region.
The third point of his presentation will address the violation of international law represented by the application of a genocidal blockade, which he described as “a massive, flagrant, and systematic violation of the human rights of the Cuban people.”
“The US representative is lying.”
The Foreign Minister responded to the statements made by the US delegate to the UN, accusing him of lying and disrespecting the General Assembly.
“This year, the State Department has launched a pressure campaign against virtually every country, particularly in Europe. They have sent memoranda, letters, and warnings to modify votes and speeches. It is a sign of desperation, a recognition of the isolation in which the US government finds itself,” he stated.
Rodríguez denounced the policy against Cuba as “personal and corrupt,” driven by political interests in the state of Florida, and added that it “betrays the interests of the American people, most of whom support the normalization of relations.”
Regarding the US representative’s remarks, he explained: “He offended the president of the General Assembly and all the member states; he spoke arrogantly and without civility. That is why I felt obliged to ask that he be called to order.”
Millions in Damage and Incalculable Suffering
In his economic assessment, Rodríguez Parrilla revealed that the damage caused by the blockade in the last year amounts to more than $7 billion, while the accumulated losses over six decades are “enormous.”
“The extreme tightening of the blockade since 2019 demonstrates an increase of more than 40% in economic damage. But what cannot be counted,” he said, “is the suffering, anxiety, and deprivation it causes every day in our families. Even so, the Cuban people remain united and aware that the blockade is the main cause of our difficulties.”
The Foreign Minister assured that Cuba will resist and win: “Tomorrow will be a resounding victory for our people, for the Revolution, and for the free peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. It will be a triumph of international law, reason, and justice.”
“The Monroe Doctrine has historically failed.”
Referring to the regional context, the Cuban diplomat warned that the United States seeks to return the continent to supremacist and racist domination.
“Its military deployment does not combat drug trafficking, but rather constitutes an existential threat to Venezuela’s independence and the sovereignty of the entire region,” he noted, while reiterating that Cuba and Venezuela will always stand together under any circumstance.
Rodríguez affirmed that the so-called Monroe Doctrine is “obsolete and historically defeated,” although he warned that it remains dangerous due to its attempt to restore old forms of domination. “The peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean will persist in defending the principles bequeathed by Bolívar, Martí, Fidel, and Chávez,” he affirmed.
He acknowledged the words of support from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and other Caribbean countries that, in the General Assembly, have directly pointed out the US government’s responsibility for the “cruel, genocidal, and abusive” policy against Cuba.
Rodríguez concluded the interview by reaffirming his confidence in the upcoming UN vote: “We will defend peace, we will defend sovereignty. And tomorrow, all peoples will have a great victory in the General Assembly.”
IMAGE CREDIT: The Foreign Minister noted that Cuba is participating in this debate amid a complex context: the imminent arrival of Hurricane Melissa. Photo: teleSUR
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
