THE blockade policy under the administration of Barack Obama has not changed in any way and, in some areas, has been intensified, affirmed Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of foreign affairs, speaking on Wednesday at the presentation of the report "The necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States," which Cuba is to present for the 19th time before the UN General Assembly.

The foreign minister argued that in the last two years the extraterritorial aspect of the blockade has continued to worsen, with increased fines, sanctions and the prosecution of Cuban financial transactions with third countries, which has had a dissuasive effect on other enterprises that could do business with the island.

"We were unable to continue buying Dactinomicina, the most useful anti-cancer drug in the treatment of sarcomas, because the Mexican Lemery Company was bought by the Israeli transnational TEVA, which has U.S. capital," he stated by way of example.

In terms of U.S. policy toward Cuba, and particularly the blockade, Obama has not come up to the expectations of the international community, the level of debate currently taking place in the U.S. Congress, and public opinion in his own country, where opposition has grown to an unprecedented degree, Rodríguez Parrilla remarked.

The White House chief "has not utilized the wide constitutional prerogatives that would allow him, not to completely end the blockade, but to introduce substantial changes in a number of areas of its application," he said.

At the same time, he explained that the blockade is the principal obstacle to our country’s development and has cost Cuba $751.36 billion in the last 50 years, this being a conservative figure based on the depreciation of the dollar against gold.

"The blockade is a failed policy, and any policy that fails for 50 years should be reviewed," he concluded.

Translated by Granma International


Havana. September 16, 2010

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