Lusaka, 7 May 2021. The Network In Defense of Humanity appeal to all lovers of peace, justice and international law to denounce the unprecedented aggression of the government of the United States against Cuba, which has been going on for almost 60 years.
The blockade of Cuba is based on provisions that qualify, according to international law, as unilateral coercive measures, as a crime of genocide under the Geneva Convention of 1948 and as a crime against humanity under the Roman Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The U.S. government pressures and limits the actions of international banks, interferes with the granting of credits and all types of operations with Cuba, pressures suppliers of essential products -including medical instruments, medicines and food products-, sanctions shipping companies that touch Cuban ports, persecutes those who transport fuel, prohibits commercial and charter flights, prevents the arrival of US tourists and cruise ships to its coasts, restricts cultural, academic and professional visits and exchanges, prohibits sending remittances to family members, among many other damages not only for Cuba, but for other states. These measures affect the entire Cuban population and their objective is to make daily life unbearable, in order to motivate political reactions and achieve the desired regime change.
It is urgent today, with the special scenario imposed by the COVID19 pandemic and the global crisis, to mobilize public opinion more strongly than ever in the face of such a long-standing outrage against a people always supportive and courageous, punished for deciding to be master of their own destiny, build a more just society and defend a sovereign country. Not even the blockade has been an obstacle for Cuban doctors, from the “Henry Reeve” Brigade, to have deployed their generous support in more than 40 nations helping to combat the pandemic.
Let us fulfill our ethical duty to denounce this injustice and demand that the principles of peace, international legality, multilateralism and mutual respect prevail and that civilized relations between States prevail, as the only way to guarantee the survival of the human species on the planet.
Lusaka, 7 May 2021.
