US blockade against Cuba, a policy of punishment

Despite the annual demands of the international community, the US blockade continues to be the leading obstacle to Cuba's development, and which systematically violate the people's fundamental rights.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez affirmed that the US blockade is the most ruthless, comprehensive, and prolonged economic warfare policy ever imposed on any country.

Rodriguez made the comment on a Thursday’s public press briefing as he released the report “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in October.

The document states that as a result of that policy, Cuba has suffered losses worth 5.56 million dollars from March 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, which represents an increase of almost 200 million dollars over the previous report.

He stated that the approximate damage is more than 421 million dollars per month, that is, 13.8 million dollars per day. It has exceeded 1.49 trillion dollars in six decades.

If this hostile policy did not exist, Cuba’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could have grown by eight percent in 2023, he stressed.

The foreign minister pointed out that the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in Washington’s alleged States Sponsoring Terrorism list deepens the difficulties and affects significantly Cuban families.

Cuba is a victim of terrorism that is organized and financed from US territory, he assured.

The minister praised the foreign support to Cuba, evident in the growing calls within the US society to put an end to the coercive measures and unlink the country with international terrorism.

Cuba is not alone in confronting this multidimensional blockade, Rodriguez said, pointing out that since 1992, the international community has repeatedly rejected this policy, which was reinforced to unprecedented levels during the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.