Cuba once again raised its voice against the illegal economic, financial, and commercial blockade imposed more than six decades ago by the United States.  During the 181st session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ambassador Jorge Luis Cepero, Permanent Representative of the UN agencies based in Rome, denounced on Tuesday the policy of strangulation and the threat of war his country is suffering due to the intensification of the US blockade.
The diplomat emphasized that this embargo prevents access to fuel, financing, and essential supply chains, becoming the main obstacle to the island’s food security and to the activities of UN agencies on the ground.
In his address at the multilateral event, held in Rome from June 8 to 11, Cepero described the blockade as illegal, genocidal, and a violation of international law and human rights. Ambassador Jorge Luis Cepero presented figures illustrating the impact of the imperial blockade, detailing that in the last year alone it caused losses exceeding $7 billion.
The official pointed out that just two months of these restrictions are equivalent to all the funding required to ensure a full year of subsidized food deliveries to the Cuban population.
Finally, the Cuban representative reaffirmed his nation’s commitment to multilateralism, cooperation, and its ties with the FAO. Addressing the plenary, he called on the international community to raise its voice in defense of justice, demanding political will without double standards, in order to move toward concrete actions that guarantee sovereignty and more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient agri-food systems.
The prolonged US blockade against Cuba, which has lasted for more than six decades, intensified this year through executive orders that attempt to suffocate the Cuban population. Faced with these pressures, which are compounded by constant threats of military intervention, the fraternity of the peoples of the world manifests itself in various ways, including the sending of food and other essential supplies.
IMAGE CREDIT: Ambassador Jorge Luis Cepero described the blockade as illegal, genocidal, and a violation of international law and human rights. Photo: Cuban Diplomatic Missions Abroad.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
