On June 23rd 2021 (next week, Wednesday) Cuba will present a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) calling for an end to the more than 60-year-old blockade that the United States of America has maintained against the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island nation.
Antigua and Barbuda is one of an overwhelming majority of countries that have over the years consistently supported Cuba in calling for an end to the blockade.
St. John’s and Havana have maintained and grown their very strong diplomatic, educational, medical, cultural and other ties.
Cuba’s present Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Maria Esther Fiffe, told Pointe Xpress in an interview that her country “appreciates the support that the government of Antigua and Barbuda offers to our call upon all states to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind referred to in the resolution, in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
Cuba’s Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Maria Esther Fiffe.
Our interview with Excellency Fiffe is also carried in this edition of Pointe Xpress. But first, we invite our readers to peruse the actual resolution that will be presented to the UNGA in the next five days.
Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.
The General Assembly,
Determined to encourage strict compliance with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming, among other principles, the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, which are also enshrined in many international legal instruments,
Recalling the statements of the Heads of State or Government of Latin America and the Caribbean at the Summits of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States regarding the need to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba,
Concerned about the continued promulgation and application by Member States of laws and regulations, such as that promulgated on 12 March 1996 known as “the Helms-Burton Act”, the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction and the freedom of trade and navigation,
Taking note of declarations and resolutions of different intergovernmental forums, bodies and Governments that express the rejection by the international community and public opinion of the promulgation and application of measures of the kind referred to above,
Recalling its resolutions 47/19 of 24 November 1992, 48/16 of 3 November 1993, 49/9 of 26 October 1994, 50/10 of 2 November 1995, 51/17 of 12 November 1996, 52/10 of 5 November 1997, 53/4 of 14 October 1998, 54/21 of 9 November 1999, 55/20 of 9 November 2000, 56/9 of 27 November 2001, 57/11 of 12 November 2002, 58/7 of 4 November 2003, 59/11 of 28 October 2004, 60/12 of 8 November 2005, 61/11 of 8 November 2006, 62/3 of 30 October 2007, 63/7 of 29 October 2008, 64/6 of 28 October 2009, 65/6 of 26 October 2010, 66/6 of 25 October 2011, 67/4 of 13 November 2012, 68/8 of 29 October 2013, 69/5 of 28 October 2014, 70/5 of 27 October 2015, 71/5 of 26 October 2016, 72/4 of 1 November 2017, 73/8 of 1 November 2018 and 74/7 of 7 November 2019,
Recalling also the measures adopted by the Executive of the United States of America in 2015 and 2016 to modify several aspects of the application of the embargo, which contrast with the measures applied since 2017 to reinforce its implementation,
Concerned that, since the adoption of its resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, 61/11, 62/3, 63/7, 64/6, 65/6, 66/6, 67/4, 68/8, 69/5, 70/5, 71/5, 72/4, 73/8 and 74/7, the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba is still in place, and concerned also about the adverse effects of such measures on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries.
