By Rodolfo Benítez Verson. Ambassador of Cuba in South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho

1. THE ROLE OF BLOCKADE IN THE US POLICY AGAINST CUBA

The economic, commercial and financial blockade has been for more than 60 years and continues to be the central component of the US policy towards Cuba.

It has been the most persistent weapon and the central axis of hostility and aggression of the US towards our country since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

The blockade is an expression of the historical inability of the US government to recognize that Cuba is an independent and sovereign country that decided to build a socialist system.

It is a fact that the blockade against Cuba is the most comprehensive, prolonged and severe system of unilateral sanctions and coercive measures ever applied against any country in the history.

The blockade also qualifies as an act of genocide under the Convention on Genocide of 1948. According to that Convention, causing hunger and despair, making an entire people suffer in an attempt to dominate it, is legally defined as an act of Genocide.

The US blockade totally fulfills those criteria. To prove that let me just quote for you a fragment of a declassified US State Department memo, describing the objective of the blockade against Cuba:

I quote: “creating disillusionment and discouragement through economic dissatisfaction and hardship (…) weakening the economic life by denying money and supplies to Cuba in order to reduce nominal and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow the government.” End of quote.

Therefore there is no doubt that in the context of the International Law the US government is committing an act of genocide against the Cuban people.

2- BASIC MEASURES AND SCOPE OF THE BLOCKADE

• Prohibition of Cuban ships or planes from entering the United States.
• A ship from any country that enters Cuba cannot enter the US for a minimum of 6 months.
• The US prohibits exports to Cuba - from any country in the world – of any product containing more than 10% components of U.S. origin.
• The travel of US tourists to Cuba is totally prohibited.
• Cuba is prohibited from using the US dollar in its international transactions.
• Investments by US companies in Cuba are prohibited.
• Cuba does not have any access to official or private credits from the US.
• International Banks that carry out transactions related to Cuba are persecuted and fined by the US Treasure Department.

Therefore is clear that the US blockade not only affects Cuba but also other countries interested in joint projects with Cuba.

3- REINFORCEMENT OF THE BLOCKADE UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

During the Trump administration, not only the modest changes in the relationship with Cuba made by President Obama were reversed.

Under Trump the blockade reached unprecedented levels of aggressiveness and hostility since President John F. Kennedy imposed for the first time the blockade against Cuba in 1962.

249 additional unilateral coercive measures and sanctions were imposed by the Trump Administration against the Cuban people, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let me just mention some examples of the new unilateral and illegal sanctions imposed by Trump with the objective to suffocate and collapse the Cuban economy: - Imposition of huge fines against U.S. or third country entities for
keeping relations with Cuban companies included in a unilateral black lists drafted by the US government.

• Authorization of lawsuits in US Courts against companies of any country which have done or do business with Cuba.
• Increased persecution of all Cuban financial, banking and commercial international transactions.
• Prohibition of flights from the U.S. to all Cuban provinces, except Havana.
• Prohibition of sending remittances to Cuba from any country through the Western Union Company.
• Strict limits on remittances that Cuban residents in the U.S. send to their families and friends in our country. - Imposition of punitive measures and sanctions against companies, ships, and insurances that facilitate the acquisition of fuel by Cuba. Just in 2020 sanctions were imposed by the US against 27 companies, 54 vessels and several individuals that exported fuel to Cuba, none of them of U.S. origin.
• A strong and well paid US government campaign to discredit Cuban international medical cooperation, spreading slanders and going so far as to require other countries to refrain from requesting that medical cooperation, even in the midst of the health emergency created by COVID-19 pandemic in the world.
• Prohibition from visiting our Island of cruise ships.
• Unilateral inclusion of Cuba and its enterprises in every black list that may harm our country. Between 2020 and 2021, the US State Department expanded the unilateral “List of Restricted Cuban Entities” on several occasions.
• The US government also issued a List of Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba, which includes 422 hotels, including all main Cuban hotels.
• Inclusion of Cuba in the US unilateral List of States Sponsoring Terrorism, which has strong intimidating effects on any country, company or individual interested in a relation with Cuba.

The Trump government went so far as to identify in the COVID-19 pandemic an opportunity to strengthening even more the siege against Cuba, which hampered our ability to confront the disease.

The US used its blockade to deprive the Cuban people of mechanical lung ventilators, masks, diagnostic kits, gloves, and others supplies necessary for the management of the pandemic.

4- THE BLOCKADE UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

The Biden Administration has announced that it is conducting a review of the policy towards Cuba, but so far all the Trump´s additional coercive measures remain intact and are enforced under the current US government.

The Biden Administration has also declared that a Cuba policy shift is not currently among its top priorities.

In summary today the Cuban people continues suffering the all criminal effects of the economic war imposed by the US.

The current government in the White House has now the opportunity to change the policy and maintain a respectful relationship with our country. We are convinced that Cuba and the US can cooperate and coexist in a civilized manner, respecting our huge differences. Cuba has reiterated its willingness to maintain a respectful dialogue with the US.

But that dialogue has to be based on equality, reciprocity and respect of the sovereignty and independence of our country.

Cuba will never accept impositions. Our sovereignty and independence are not negotiable.

5. CONSEQUENCES OF THE BLOCKADE FOR CUBA AND OTHER COUNTRIES

No citizen or sector in Cuba escapes the huge effects of the blockade.

The US blockade has been and continues to be the fundamental obstacle for the development of our country and the realization of the aspirations for progress and well-being of several generations of Cubans. In fact, more than 70% of the present Cuban population was born and has always live under the blockade.

The blockade seriously hurt our country’s economy since it make almost impossible for Cuba to participate in the international trade and carry out financial operations.

Many banks all over the world have shut down their relations with Cuba due to the intimidating sanctions of the blockade.

Even for Cubans living abroad, the blockade prohibitions are also daily obstacles. They are prevented from opening bank accounts, using most credit cards or carrying out normal transactions, just because they have Cuban nationality.

As a result of the blockade Cuba is losing between 5 to 6 billion USD every year. That means almost 15 million USD each day.

Without the blockade, Cuba's Gross Domestic Product would have grown more than 10% each year.

Needles to say that the human and social damage caused by the blockade is incalculable.

6. ACHIEVEMENTS OF CUBA DESPITE THE BLOCKADE

Despite its significant negative impact on Cuba's economy and daily lives of our people, the blockade has been a resounding failure for the US pretense to defeat the Cuban Socialist Revolution.

Cuba has been able to overcome the serious challenges of the blockade thanks to the advantages of the socialist system, the unity and social cohesion of our people and the international solidarity.

We are demonstrating that even with its immense power, Imperialism does not have the capacity to break the dignity of a united people.

Despite the great difficulties created by the blockade, we are committed in Cuba to build a fair and equitable socialist society.

We do not intend the Cuban Socialist Revolution to be considered a model to anyone. Cuba is not perfect. We recognize that many things in our country can and should be improve and we are doing that every day.

At the same time we do not accept the existence of a unique or universal model, much less the imposition as a model of the capitalist system. Capitalism is not historically sustainable. We are convinced that Socialism is the future.

The example of Cuba demonstrates that even with very limited resources and under a ferocious blockade, even for a small country just 90 miles from the Imperialist Superpower it is possible to create a society based on human solidarity and social justice.

Let me just mention some of the achievements of the Cuban Socialist Revolution despite the blockade:

• 815 million people in the world suffer today from chronic hunger. None of them is Cuban. - 760 million adults are illiterate in the world. None of them is Cuban. - Every day 18 000 children die in our planet as a result of poverty and 325 million children do not attend school. None of them is Cuban.
• The life expectancy rate in Cuba is almost 80 years of age, higher than in many wealthy countries.
• The whole Cuban population receive totally free high quality education at all levels, including university.
• Our country ensures high quality health care for all our population, completely free of charge.
• We have the highest number of doctors per capita in the world and the best infant mortality rate in the Western Hemisphere.

Despite its efforts, the US has not been able to prevent our International Solidarity. Thousands of Cuban health professionals in 57 Medical Brigades have been contributing to the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic in more than 40
countries, including South Africa.

Those 57 Henry Reeve Cuban Medical Brigades joined more than 28 thousand Cuban health professionals that were already providing their services in 59 nations before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that context we really appreciate the support given by the SACP to the nomination of the Cuban HR Brigade for the Nobel Peace Price.

To preserve those achievements that I referred to and many others, the Cuban Socialist Revolution build under the leadership of Commander Fidel Castro is and will remain a Socialist Revolution of the working class for the working class.

7. POSITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The US blockade against Cuba has no international support whatsoever.

Every year since 1992, nations of the world have voted almost unanimously in the United Nations General Assembly in favor of a Cuban resolution demanding the end of the blockade, with only the US and Israel still supporting that policy. Until now 28 resolutions has been adopted by the United Nations in the last 28 years condemning the blockade and declaring it illegal and criminal. The next vote on this issue in the United Nations will be on June 23rd. We hope that sometime in June, before the vote, the SACP could issue a public statement supporting the UN resolution and reiterating its principle position against the blockade.

In addition to the UN, many other international and regional organizations have adopted a clear position against the blockade and in solidarity with Cuba.

Among them are included the African Union, the Community of Caribbean States (CARICOM), the Group of 77, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, among others, have demanded the lifting of the illegal and criminal blockade against Cuba.

8. ROLE OF INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IN THE BATTLE AGAINST THE BLOCKADE

The Cuban Revolution has the firm determination to continuing defeating the US criminal policy against our people.

But let me emphasize dear Comrades that in the present context of increase aggression and blockade by the imperialism, we really need more international solidarity.

The imperialists will always try to neutralize and isolate those who challenge them and defend sovereignty and the interests of the working class.

We should act together in solidarity, because in isolation, we will be swallowed by the strength of the powerful.

Deepening revolutionary and working class international solidarity is an urgent imperative today

We call on all friends of Cuba in South Africa and around the world, the solidarity movement, the international working class, to continue rejecting the irrational and aggressive policies of the US government against Cuba and other countries of the world.

We deeply appreciate the very strong and committed solidarity and support we always receive from the South African Communist Party and all its militants.Those actions of solidarity make a difference in the present difficult times and the Cuban people deeply appreciate them.

The final Sunday of each month tens of thousands of people from around the world are participating in public demonstrations to reject the blockade, which criminally punishes Cuban families and our entire nation.

South Africa has also joined those public demonstrations. The last Sundays of last March and April, mass demonstrations against the blockade were organized by the Association of Cuban Residents in South Africa at the statue of Nelson Mandela in Union Building.

The next global caravan against the blockade, in many countries of the 5 continents, will take place on May 30. In South Africa the demonstration will take place again under the statue of Mandela.

Another public demonstration will take place on 20 of June, just before the vote in the UN of the resolution rejecting the blockade.

We invite the militants of the South African Communist Party to join those events in solidarity with the Cuban people and our Socialist Revolution.

Once again, it will be demonstrated that Cuba is not alone in its fight against the permanent aggression imposed by Washington.

Thank you very much to the leadership of the SACP for given me the opportunity to make this presentation. I also thank all of you dear Comrades that are joining us today.