Monrovia — The Government of Cuba, through her embassy in Liberia, is calling on its Liberian counterpart, through the UNGA, to join her in calling on the US Government to lift the blockade imposed on it.
The Government of Cuba, through her embassy in Liberia, is calling on its Liberian counterpart, through the UNGA, to join her in calling on the US Government to lift the blockade imposed on it.
Addressing a press conference Tuesday, October 16, at a local hotel in Monrovia, Cuba's Chargé d'Affaires, Mr. Yordenis Despaigne Vera, who didn't out-rightly called on the Liberian government's help in this matter but spoke of Liberia's long-standing and very good relations with the US. He disclosed that his country's representative will present a resolution to the UN General Assembly at the end of this month. Liberia is member of the UNGA.
Chargé d'Affaires Vera used the occasion to speak of how his country's government and the Liberian government continue to enjoy good diplomatic relationship.
The Cuban Chargé d' Affaires is on his last mile as a Cuban diplomat to Liberia as his tour of duty expires at the end of this month.
The US Blockade on Cuba
Speaking further, Vera disclosed that his government is set to again complain the US Government to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) where they are expected to present a resolution entitled "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba."
According to the Cuban Chargé d'Affaires, the US' imposed blockade is "serious" and is a setback to the bilateral relations between both nations.
Vera claimed that the laws and regulations sustaining the blockade, which were re-enforced by President Donald Trump, according to him, are applied with full rigor by US government's agencies, especially the Departments of Treasury and Commerce and particularly the office of Foreign Assets Control.
"The Draft Resolution will be presented on October 31st, 2018 by the Cuban Government to the UN General Assembly. It will be the 27th occasion that Cuba has presented a resolution of this type.
"The economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the government of the United States of America against Cuba for almost six decades is the most unfair, severe and extended system of unilateral sanctions ever applied against any country."
Chargé d'Affaires Vera described as "most unfair, severe and prolonged system of the unilateral sanctions that have been applied against any country." He disclosed that the barrier is the main hindrance to his country's economy and the Cuban people's full enjoyment of all human rights.
According to this Cuban diplomat, the accumulated damages caused by the blockade throughout the 60 years, have summed up to US$934 billion. He further stated that at current prices, the blockade has caused quantifiable damages of more than US$134 billion.
Blockade Effect on Cuban Health Sector
Vera disclosed that among sectors that are affected by the barrier, is his country's health system. According to him, the health sector like other affected sectors, is suffering a serious repercussions. He cited difficulties in acquiring needed medicines, reagents, instruments, spare parts for medical equipment and all the other faraway markets and, on many occasions, with the use of intermediaries among the problems in the health sector.
According to him, the Cuban Government had requested that they wanted to purchase the below listed but the US Government either did not answer or refused purchase requests.
"The purchase of the drug Temozolamide, at the forefront of chemotherapy treatment, was banned. Information was requested on two occasions for the purchase of the Da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic surgical system developed by U.S company intuitive surgical.
"High-tech equipment known as a mass spectrometer, used for the diagnosis and early detection of metabolic diseases or inborn errors of metabolism, Cardiac valves of different types, vascular prostheses, electrode extraction devices."
