Due to the complex health situation derived from the COVID-19 pandemic at a global level, and in particular in the United States (USA), including New York City, it was decided to postpone the presentation of the draft resolution entitled “Need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” for the resumed session of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On this occasion, the Cuban draft resolution will be presented in a particularly adverse context, marked by the complexities imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its direct impact on work at the UN headquarters. According to forecasts, the epidemiological situation in New York City should be maintained during the first half of 2021, and could even get complicated during the winter season and spring. In this scenario, the UN Secretariat is expected to maintain strict observance of security measures and physical distancing, including limitations for the presence of personnel at the United Nations headquarters. Currently, the requirement of a single representative per delegation in the room is maintained. Therefore, it will be vitally important to have the support of the member countries of UN to ensure the presence of their delegations during the consideration of our draft resolution. In the last 4 years, there has been a progressive and systematic increase in the aggressiveness of US policy against our people and against all sovereign States that maintain or attempt to establish economic, commercial and financial relations with Cuba. The more than 240 measures applied during the government of Donald Trump, with more than 50 adopted in 2020 alone, illustrate the particular cruelty of this policy against the Cuban people and government. Since the activation of Title III of the Helms Burton Act, in May 2019, until January 2021, 28 lawsuits have been established in US courts. This extraterritorial measure has affected US and third-country companies, who have done or do business with Cuba. It has also caused notable damage to the economy of our country, due to its intimidating effect on the international business community. Between 2020 and early 2021, the US State Department expanded the “List of Restricted Cuban Entities” on several occasions. This has had considerable effects on Cuba’s business system and commercial operations, as it has deterred some foreign counterparts from engaging or continuing to operate with Cuban entities included in unilateral lists. Added to the above was the creation of the List of Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba, which included 422 hotels and rental houses. These measures, along with others such as the suspension of charter flights to the entire country except Havana, severely restrict American travel, contradict the support of broad sectors of the US people to end the blockade, and they attack the emerging Cuban private sector. The prohibition of sending remittances to Cuba from third countries through the Western Union company, the constant persecution of Cuban financial operations abroad, the impossibility of processing remittances through the companies Fincimex and American International Services (AIS), as well such as intimidation of companies that transport fuel supplies to our country, are also examples of the intensification of the blockade in this period. To the regime of coercive measures derived from the blockade regulations, the dissuasive and intimidating effects associated with the recent inclusion of Cuba in the List of States Sponsoring Terrorism are added. This unilateral action, lacking moral and legal justification, has a negative impact on every sphere of Cuban society, since it increases the country’s difficulties to enter international trade and carry out financial operations. The inhumane nature of the blockade is exacerbated and even more cruel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The US government has used this policy, and in particular its extraterritorial component, to deliberately deprive the Cuban people of mechanical lung ventilators, masks, diagnostic kits, protective glasses, suits, gloves, reagents and others. supplies necessary for the management of this disease. In this context, the slanderous campaign against Cuban medical cooperation, aimed at depriving other peoples of that indispensable contribution to their health system, which is immoral in any circumstance, is particularly offensive to Cuba and the world. Despite its efforts, the US has not been able to prevent thousands of Cuban collaborators from contributing to the fight against the pandemic in more than thirty countries and territories. These efforts have been joined by the more than 28 thousand health professionals who already provided their services in 59 nations before COVID-19. The blockade constitutes a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of Cuban men and women. It qualifies as an act of genocide under the 1948 Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and as an act of economic warfare according to the London Naval Conference of 1909. In addition, it is a violation of the UN Charter and the Law International. The maintenance and intensification of this policy constitutes an affront to the international community, which for 28 consecutive years has consistently condemned the blockade within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly. Likewise, it is unaware of the successive resolutions and declarations of the African Union, the Community of Caribbean States (CARICOM), the Group of 77 plus China and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, among other international forums, where their lifting has been demanded. The blockade constitutes the most unjust, severe and prolonged system of unilateral coercive measures that has been applied against any country, and continues to represent a brake on the development of all the potentialities of the Cuban economy, for the implementation of the National Economic Development Plan and Social Development of the country, as well as for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. The draft resolution to be presented this year maintains the same essence of the text adopted at the 74th session of the UNGA, with the rigorous technical updates. In our effort to lift the blockade, Cuba and its people have historically had the support of majority of the member countries of UN. In this particularly complex context, we reiterate our appreciation and hope to once again to have the votes of the overwhelming majority of the international community in favor of our draft resolution.
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