Cuba condemns in Belgium extraterritoriality of US blockade

Cuban ambassador to Belgium Yaira Jiménez, on Sunday strongly condemned extraterritoriality of the blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for over 60 years and the tightening of such a policy repudiated by the international community.

During a political event at the Brussels Atomium Square in rejection of the economic, commercial and financial US blockade, Ms. Jiménez reminded Cuban residents and Belgians of recent events showing the impact of the blockade on the European Union (EU) and even on one of its major institutions, the European Parliament.

In this regard, she mentioned how the ING Dutch bank blocked funds donated to finance the trip of the Progressive International delegation to Cuba, which organized a visit to Havana to support the call for free access to vaccines against Covid-19.

Likewise, she pointed out the obstacles faced by 11 MEPs to get tickets for their trip to Cuba in the coming week, denied by the CWT travel agency, official service provider to the European Parliament, as it belongs to a travel US company.

The 11 MEPs sent a letter of complaint to EU´s highest authorities, a letter in which they considered the incident as further proof of the extraterritorial nature of the US blockade and the need for the EU to act firmly.

Ms. Jiménez stressed such situations do not hinder solidarity and support for Cuba ahead of US hostilities imposed for more than six decades.

In this sense, she mentioned a 5-powdered milk ton donation by Bridges of Love project (headed by Professor Carlos Lazo) for Cuban children and the arrival of a donation of medical supplies and musical instruments made by artist Nachito Herrera and a third container with medical materials and equipment sent by Cubans residing in Belgium and Belgians in solidarity.

She also referred to the criminal nature of the US blockade and its 243 measures, 60 of them amid the Covid-19 pandemic, imposed by the Donald Trump administration, all still kept unchanged by Joe Biden.

Over 60 years later, such a policy is still kept unchanged, and we have to publicly condemn it everywhere and by all means, she stressed.