Activists, members of social and political organizations in the United States, and groups belonging to the Cuba Solidarity Networks in the U.S., Canada, and Quebec strongly condemned — this Saturday in New York — the intensification of the U.S. administration’s economic siege against the Island.
In its latest edition — an event held annually since 2017 — the Conference for the Normalization of U.S.-Cuba Relations takes on special significance as the decades-old blockade reaches unprecedented dimensions, particularly through the boycott of oil supplies to the Caribbean nation.
Participating in the gathering—either in person or virtually—are activists; members of social and political organizations in the United States and of groups within the Cuba Solidarity Networks in the U.S., Canada, and Quebec; as well as Cuban diplomats and representatives from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), the National Union of Jurists, and Cubapetróleo (CUPET).
Ike Nahem, speaking on behalf of the International Coalition for the Conference on U.S.-Cuba Normalization, emphasized the need to denounce these draconian measures. He argued that these measures strike directly at a population that—despite facing difficulties and shortages—continues to resist while defending its sovereignty, and he stressed the imperative of redoubling the effectiveness of solidarity efforts.
Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, expressed his gratitude to the Conference for its support. He highlighted the particular relevance of this support in light of the U.S. administration’s escalating hostility—hostility that inflicts severe damage and detriment upon the living conditions of a people who, he noted, continue to demonstrate extraordinary patriotic resistance.
Osmayda Hernández Beleño, Director of the Department of International Relations at the FMC, also attended the meeting. She denounced the profound energy crisis Cuba is currently experiencing due to the U.S. policy of “maximum pressure,” noting that “what has historically been the blockade is now in a distinct and more intense phase.”
“Despite the difficult situation, we continue our work,” she highlighted. “Priority is being given to projects involving essential services—specifically those related to shifting the energy matrix, delivering renewable energy equipment, installing photovoltaic modules in the homes of sick children who require them, and implementing similar measures within businesses.”
Hernández Beleño sharply criticized the objective of U.S. policy to destroy Cuba—”specifically because of its example of surviving under pressure without capitulating, and because of the powerful example of self-determination and independence that it radiates,” she emphasized.
Numerous participants took the floor during this first day of the Conference—which concludes this Sunday—to express their strong condemnation of the siege against Cuba: the economic, commercial, and financial blockade; the energy encirclement; and the Island’s inclusion on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. In doing so, they reaffirmed their commitment to redoubling their solidarity actions with greater effectiveness.
The forum’s agenda includes exchanges, debates, and panel discussions focused on developing an action plan—a necessary, united response against the harassment of Cuba and against U.S. military intervention in the region.
