The UN once again condemns the US embargo against Cuba | International

In what is now an authentic ritual, the UN General Assembly on Wednesday condemned the US embargo against Cuba with the support of an overwhelming majority of countries. The battle for “the lifting of the blockade”, six decades after its installation by John F. Kennedy (in 1962), has long been one of the axes of Cuban foreign policy, and there is a consensus within the international community on the fact that EE The United States must end once its strategy of pressure and sanctions, especially in these times of pandemic.

Since 1992, Cuba has voted every year at the United Nations on the document “The need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America on Cuba”, in which it summarizes the damage caused to its country by the United States. sanctions and receives almost unanimous support from members of the organization. In the resolution approved today, Havana ensures that between April 2019 and December 2020 the damage caused by the embargo exceeds 9.1 billion dollars (7.6 billion euros), the health sector being the one of the most affected, in the midst of a serious crisis. worsened by the covid-19 epidemic. On this occasion, the result at the UN was 184 votes in favor, two against (United States and Israel) and three abstentions. The EU bloc unanimously supported the resolution.

Historically, the United States and Israel have always voted against, except in 2016, when Barack Obama ruled and decided that Washington would abstain. Obama had just re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba, which had broken off in 1961, and had implemented a policy of “constructive engagement” with the ultimate goal of normalizing relations with the island after acknowledging that the embargo had failed in its objective of bringing about a change of regime. That year, the Cuban government won 191 votes in favor and 2 abstentions (Washington and Tel Aviv), and although Obama tried to convince the US Congress of the need to end this policy, he did not success. Donald Trump arrived immediately and the story is known: the entirety of the amendment, and 240 new sanctions in four years, including restrictions on flights, movement of Americans, remittances, increased financial persecution and the activation of the Helms-Burton Act to discourage foreign investment.

Biden’s arrival at the White House opened a window of optimism, both for the Cuban government and for those in the United States who have argued that the time has come for a change with Cuba. Recently, prominent American scholar William LeoGrande said: “An effective policy towards Cuba requires a realistic mindset that recognizes, once and for all, Washington’s inability to impose its will on Cuba. Policymakers need to let go of the illusion that sanctions will bring victory and get to work with a regime we may not like, but which is not going away anytime soon. “

Biden, who as Obama’s vice president supported the goal of normalization with Cuba, pledged during the election campaign to dismantle Trumpist sanctions and review his policy towards the island. But six months later, nothing. The Biden administration has not lifted a single measure and has already stated twice that Cuba “is not a priority”, although it has assured that the policy towards Cuba “is still under review”, which allows supporters of the rapprochement to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

A diplomat stressed that, for the United States, the embargo policy is “a brake”, since its failure is more than proven, it contributes in a certain way to “isolate” it diplomatically. It is not only that each year the General Assembly overwhelmingly condemns the embargo, it is also that on voting day, the American Ambassador to the UN must undergo a series of interventions by countries of all kinds, including their allies. , leaving them in evidence.

On October 26, 2016, when Samantha Powers, Obama’s ambassador to the UN, said in plenary: “The United States has always voted against this resolution. Today, the United States will abstain, ”burst into the room a long applause. This Wednesday, the American ambassador to the organization justified his negative vote and the maintenance of his policy because of the democratic deficits and the human rights situation on the island, the usual argument to maintain it. The Portuguese ambassador, on behalf of the EU, also expressed concern over issues of civil rights and freedoms, although he said Brussels head-on condemns the embargo and believes that the pressure is not the way to solve the problems, because the main harm suffered by the people there.

In a recent work, Leogrande opposes the North American logic of maintaining the pressure as a means of seeking progress on the issue of human rights, stating that in the past when there have been moments of more tension with Washington, nothing has progressed. “The lesson for the Biden government in its review of policy toward Cuba is twofold. First, the intensification of coercion not only does not advance human rights in Cuba, it also worsens the situation. Second, a compromise policy that improves bilateral relations in general creates an atmosphere in which human rights progress is more likely, unsecured, but more likely, ”he said. For LeoGrande, a policy of compromise would allow “Washington to resume the bilateral dialogue with Havana on human rights that President Obama initiated and abandoned by President Trump. It will also allow the United States to coordinate with our European allies, who are in permanent consultation with Cuba on these issues. ”

Although the Cuban government received the vote as “a great victory,” there is no indication, as of yet, that the embargo policy will change with the Biden administration.

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