Speaking at the UN General Assembly, leaders from more than 40 countries and all five continents urged an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba, describing it as genocidal, illegal, and a Cold War relic.
During the seven days of the 68th session of the General Assembly, the call to end the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed more than 50 years ago was expressed from the United Nations podium by presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers alike.
Just like last year, the issue of Washington's blockade against the island was among the topics most mentioned by the leaders during the plenary session for the 193 U.N. member countries.
Yesterday, during the last day of discussion, Nicaragua, Saint Lucia, Granada, Suriname, Barbados, Syria, and Guinea joined the demand previously expressed here by representatives from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. For Bolivian President Evo Morales, the blockade against Cuba is the "worst genocide," while Mauricio Funes, president of El Salvador, Ghana's John Mahama, and Trinidad and Tobago's Kamla Persad-Bissessar, called it a relic of the past.
In turn, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, described the White House siege as a kind of "myopic revenge," which has caused millions in losses and severe social harm, for its impact in sectors such as health and education.
For his part, Gambian President Hadji Yahya Jammeh called Washington's measures inhumane, unjust, and flagrant, and warned that they lack any sort of justification.
During the general discussion, participants considered the U.S. blockade on Cuba to be a strong obstacle to the country's development, as well as a violation of international law.