Speaking with members of the media Wednesday, Cuban Consul General Felix Wilson appealed to the international community for its support in pressuring the United States to end what he deemed “a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the Cuban people’s human rights.”
Under the embargo, US companies are not allowed to purchase Cuban products, all purchases have to be paid in cash as neither public nor private credit cards are allowed and merchandise bought by Cuba has to be transported in non-Cuban vessels.
For the past 12 consecutive years however, the Cuban government has submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly condemning the blockade.
It is a position The Bahamas has always supported, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell.
Last year, 173 member states voted in favour of removing the embargo, three against (including the United States) and four abstained. According to Mr. Wilson, such feedback reflected a near-total rejection by the international community of the US’ policy.
“We are satisfied with the support of other countries, like The Bahamas, ever since we introduced the resolution against the US,” Mr. Wilson said. “This year we also expect The Bahamas’ valuable support on this issue.”
During a high-level meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in New York last month, Prime Minister Christie dealt delicately with the Caribbean’s relations with Cuba, pointing out that there is much the region gains from its relationship with the communist country and its president Fidel Castro.
Those benefits include access to quality health care and higher education. Thousands of Caribbean nationals – over 160 from The Bahamas – are facilitated in attending Cuban universities. President Castro has also promised to help CARICOM nations fight AIDS, a promise Mr. Christie expects him to fulfill.
But despite Prime Minister Christie’s reassurances that President Bush appeared to be “very sympathetic” to issues affecting the Caribbean, Mr. Wilson has another view.
According to the Consul General, the United States’ present government has only increased the hostility and prohibitions of the embargo against Cuba to unprecedented levels, ignoring the calls of the international community to change its position.
A clear example of this he said is the repeated and baseless accusations that portray Cuba as a threat, the growth in US funding for internal subversion, the encouragement of hijackings of vessels and aircraft and the non-compliance with bi-lateral agreements on migration.
“Every sector of the Cuban economy has suffered the extraterritorial consequences of this policy,” Mr. Wilson said. “Of the $685 million losses in Cuba’s foreign trade in 2002, $178.2 million (26 percent) was directly attributable to the embargo.
Citing preliminary studies, Mr. Wilson further pointed out that over the past 44 years, Cuba has suffered an economic loss exceeding $72 billion as a direct result of the US policy.
“The nation’s purchasing power to import means and resources for Cuban schools has fallen 25-30 percent since the early 1990’s, as a result of having to be acquired from remote markets and sometimes at higher prices,” he said.
Last year, Cubaļ¾“s totalled $11.7 million from Asian markets. Meanwhile, the country’s agricultural sector saw losses amounting to some $108.5 million.
But despite the economic and social setbacks, Mr. Wilson holds on to the argument that the U.S.’ sanction has not worked.
“The embargo has failed and it always will, simply because the United States does not have any idea of the values that we support and stand for,” Mr. Wilson said. “And I can tell you that whatever the U.S. does, it will not stop our country and our people from moving towards better health care, education and social services. None of their measures are going to stop us from doing what we seek to do.”
“International organizations have rated Cuba as one of the best countries for education in the world. We have sent thousands of doctors to third world countries, so when we view all these facts, we realize that what we are doing is on the right track.”
The United Nations General Assembly is expected to vote on the resolution on November 4th.
By Macushla Pinder, The Bahama Journal
