FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 30, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Unblock Cuba: The World Says Enough
Today at the United Nations, the world community has once again overwhelmingly spoken out against the relentless U.S. embargo on Cuba, with 187 countries voting in favor of ending it and only 2 countries voting against it. Yet President Biden remains unmoved, stubbornly clinging to the archaic policies that continue to inflict harm on more than 10 million Cubans.
Despite the world’s condemnation of the blockade every year since 1992, the U.S. government continues to isolate itself from the international community. In this lonely stance, the United States was joined only by Israel, a country that relies heavily on billions of U.S. dollars in aid, a staggering $17 billion from October 2023 to October 2024, with an additional $20 billion arms transfer pending to further intensify the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
Yet President Biden is not only ignoring the global community but is also disregarding the democratic voice of his own citizens. Across the U.S., more than a hundred city resolutions condemning the blockade have been passed, representing about 55 million Americans who call for an end to this inhumane, unilateral siege on Cuba that has persisted for over 60 years.
The U.S. embargo devastates all sectors of Cuba’s economy, depriving Cubans of essential goods, from medicine to food and fuel. According to the Cuban government, from March 2023 to February 2024, the U.S. blockade inflicted losses totaling $5.56 billion. The added strain from Cuba’s designation as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” since January 12, 2021 further aggravates this crisis, driving more Cubans to migrate in search of economic opportunity.
Recently, when asked how the U.S. will vote on the annual U.N. resolution condemning the blockade, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller simply laughed. This dismissive reaction highlights the U.S. disregard for a policy that has inflicted economic hardship on Cuba for decades.
The Obama administration once abstained from the vote in an effort to normalize relations, but the Biden administration has chosen a different path. Since the Trump administration reinstated Cuba’s “State Sponsor of Terror” designation, Biden has continued to uphold this false label, effectively stalling the progress once made.
The embargo on Cuba is not only unjust, but it also contravenes the United Nations Charter and international law by denying Cuba the inalienable right to development. The embargo’s extraterritorial reach hampers humanitarian aid and foreign trade with Cuba, cutting off resources essential to the Cuban people, including medical supplies.
At CODEPINK, we refuse to stand idly by. We pledge to continue our fight for justice, demanding an end to these hostile policies, the lifting of the embargo, and the immediate removal of Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list!
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