CUBA TO SUBMIT DRAFT RESOLUTION TO END U.S. BLOCKADE

November 03, 2006

Cuba will for the fifteenth time submit a draft resolution to put an end to the financial, commercial and economic blockade by the United States against Cuba. The resolution will be submitted for consideration by the United Nations General Assembly on November 8. Cuban Ambassador Eugenio Martinez says it is an international blockade that affects all countries dealing with Cuba.

Cuban Ambassador Eugenio Martinez:

“Even though the last fifteen years the General Assembly which is the largest body of the United Nation has supported Cuba’s request to lift the blockade. The United States they have strengthen the embargo strengthen the blockade increased the restriction as it did last year. That’s why Cuba is again presenting this resolution. We are calling all to support and we are confident that we are going to get the majority of the United Nation State members’ support. During the last year the United States imposed some new regulations they created what they called anew task force to prosecute the Cuban nickel. You know Cuba has nickel which is a very valuable commodity in today’s economy. As well they had a group of prosecution of Cuban asset of money, commodity, merchandise any thing that Cuba was doing. There is this watch group in the United States paid by the Unites States then confiscating Cuban assets or putting penalties, fines on countries that are dealing with Cuba.” 

Martinez says that last year Cuba received a record number of one hundred and eighty two countries supporting the lifting of the blockade. We asked Martinez how the trade embargo against Cuba affects Belize.

Cuban Ambassador Eugenio Martinez:

“If a ship goes to Cuba and dock in Cuba’s Port in the next six months who don’t travel to the U.S. It means that most of the ships going to Belize pass through the United States before because most of your trades are with the United States like seventy something percent. So to send any cargo from Cuba to Belize we had to go to a third country such as Jamaica because it’s a ship coming from the U.S. going to Belize and then wanting to go to Cuba. If it goes to Cuba it cannot return to the U.S. for the next six months so let say we want to improve trade with Belize, lets say if I want to buy oranges or lemons in Belize I cannot find any transportation to do that trade because they say well we make a long stop in the United sates so I cannot go to Cuba that is just an example. But if we want to buy for example we are sending patients to Cuba like last year for the eye surgery and Cuba was ready to buy some new equipment for the eye surgery but if we had a ten percent of U.S. made we cannot by that if it is for Cuba if the enterprise is in Europe so it’s an international problem for Cuba.”

Eugenio Martinez, Cuban Ambassador. Martinez says his country is confident of Belize’s support.

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