The Cuban government and its people are calling for the lifting of the United States blockade on the island nation’s economic, financial and commercial activities.
At a media briefing in Accra, Cuban Ambassador to Ghana Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez said they will on October 31 present a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for lifting of the blockade imposed on them by the US.
The blockade was imposed on February 3, 1962 after then US President John F. Kennedy signed the Executive Order 3447.
According to Cubans, the economic, commercial and financial blockade, which subtly began in 1959, is the main obstacle to development of the Cuban economy.
Ambassador Despaigne Gonzalez said the Obama administration started measures to get things thawed but the current government of Donald Trump by signing a Presidential Memorandum for National Security in June, 2017 has further tightened the US policy against Cuba, thereby reversing the progress made.
He said the blockade seriously hurts Cuba and has negatively affected the interest and sovereign rights of the people.
A majority of UN countries have over the years voted against the blockade with the latest coming in 2017, when 191 countries voted against the blockade while only two countries voted for it.
This the ambassador believes is an end in sight to their fight.
He said the draft resolution to be sent to the UNGA at the end of the month will hope for change.
For them, the blockade is against third-world countries.
Africa Union’s Heads of State and Government has consecutively voted for the lifting of the blockade with the latest taking place in Addis Ababa at the 30th Ordinary Session.
At the press conference in Accra, beneficiaries of the Cuban government praised Cuba for helping a lot more people particularly in the medical and agricultural sectors.
They believe the blockade is a deliberate attempt by the US to weaken the Cuban government and to make it ineffective in the implementation of its policies and programmes.
By Evelyn Tengmaa|3news.com|Ghana