Join the Global Online Picket to Demand an End to U.S. Blockade of Cuba!
On November 2 and 3, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will consider and vote for the 30th time on the agenda item “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
This vote is taking place following the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian in Cuba and the intensification of the U.S. blockade begun under the administration of Donald Trump and continued under Biden, aimed at deliberately suffocating the Cuban economy in the hopes it will collapse. According to the Cuban government, losses caused by the blockade between August 2021 and February 2022 were in the order of U.S.$ 3.8 billion. In 60 years, at current prices the accumulated damages of the blockade add up to U.S.$ 154.2 billion, not to mention the humanitarian and other suffering the blockade has deliberately caused the population of the island since that time.
According to an update provided to the press by Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, as a result of the blockade Cuba cannot acquire, anywhere, in any way, technologies, equipment, parts, pieces, digital technologies or software, which have 10 per cent U.S. components, which has an impact as serious as that of the lack of foreign currency to guarantee supplies.
- Dozens and dozens of banks deny services to Cuba for fear of incurring U.S. fines. Between January 2021 and February 2022, foreign banks reported 642 refusals of service to Cuba in this regard. Dozens of diplomatic missions, of Cuban embassies, today lack banking services.
- During the height of the pandemic the U.S. allowed temporary exemptions from its unilateral coercive measures to dozens of sanctioned countries, which allowed them to purchase vaccines, oxygen and ventilators. No such exemption was allowed for Cuba.
Coinciding with the vote at the UN, many actions in support of Cuba have been taking place across the world, including in Canada, to express the voice of the world’s people against the genocidal U.S blockade. During the weekend of October 29-30 there were car caravans and rallies in a number of cities.
On Wednesday, November 2 starting at 8 pm. and continuing to 8 pm. Thursday, November 3 there will be a worldwide 24-hour Global Online Picket to stand with Cuba and call for an end to the blockade, organized by the U.S.-Cuba Normalization Conference Committee. You can register to join it here.