French Presidency rejects U.S. blockade against Cuba

Paris, Dec 23 (RHC) The French Presidency expressed its opposition to the U.S. blockade against Cuba and the extraterritorial nature of that policy, according to a document released today.

Through its Chief of Staff, Brice Blondel, the Presidency of the Republic underlined France's rejection of the economic, commercial, and financial siege applied by Washington for more than 60 years, in response to an open letter sent to President Emmanuel Macron by Cuba Coopération France (CubaCoop) association urging him to firmly condemn the blockade.

"France is constant on this issue, does not participate in any way in the embargo (blockade), and has not ceased to denounce the harmful consequences for Cuba's development, its economic situation, and the quality of life of its population, calling for its elimination," Blondel's response, to which Prensa Latina had access.

The text recalls that on November 3 and as it has done since 1992, France voted in favor of the resolution in the UN General Assembly that establishes the need for the United States to put an end to its blockade against the island.

Like our partners in the European Union, we oppose US extraterritorial sanctions, and in particular, the Helms-Burton Act, contrary to international law, warned the Elysée Chief of Staff.

In October, the president of CubaCoop, Victor Fernandez, addressed a letter to Macron, in which he asked him to take all necessary measures, together with European institutions, so that Washington lifts its siege, a step he considered very positive for the whole world.

Likewise, he asked the head of state to outline the designation of banks in charge of carrying out financial transactions with the Caribbean country, which is not happening at present in France and other European nations due to the extraterritorial impact of the blockade and the fear of those institutions given the pressure and the huge U.S. fines.

Our great Victor Hugo pointed out in 1870 that no man has the right to dominate another and that crime is more odious when it is a nation seeking to subjugate another; today the United States is doing that to a small country in an extraterritorial and illegal way, denounced Fernandez then.

According to Blondel, Macron received the letter and understood the issues raised about the blockade applied by the United States to Cuba.

In September, CubaCoop launched an initiative as part of its actions against the siege imposed by Washington and to promote at the European level the demand for an end to the blockade and concrete cooperation actions in support of the Island. (Source: PL)