UN General Assembly renews calls for U.S. to end embargo on Cuba

2011-10-26 05:44:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Tuesday renewed its call for the United States to end its long economic embargo imposed against Cuba for the past half century.

The UN resolution was adopted by 186 votes while the United States and Israel voted against it and three countries abstained, including the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. In the resolution, the Assembly reiterated its call to all UN members to meet their obligations under the UN charter to reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation.

Introducing the text, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said the United States has never hidden the fact that the objective of the embargo is to overthrow his country's government. Rodríguez, who has described the embargo as an act of genocide, said it has caused more than $975 billion in damage to the Cuban people.

"What the U.S. Government wants to see changed will not change," he stated, declaring that the Cuban Government will continue to be "the government of the people, by the people and for the people."

Meanwhile, U.S. representative Ronald Godard said that for yet another year, the Assembly is taking up a resolution designed to confuse and obscure. "But let there be no confusion about this: the United States, like most Member States, reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting the right and the heartfelt desire of the Cuban people to freely determine their future.

"And let there be no obscuring that the Cuban regime has deprived them of this right for more than half a century," Godard added.

The United States imposed a commercial, economic and financial embargo on Cuba in October 1960. It was made into law in 1992 in order to maintain sanctions until the Cuban government accepts to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights.

The embargo prohibits American entrepreneurs and companies from engaging in business with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-26

about time this ridiculous American embargo ended.