Former President Donald Ramotar is among former CARICOM Heads of Government urging countries in the Latin America and Caribbean Region, and all other members of the United Nation (UN) to vote in favour of ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba, when the issue comes up this week at the United Nations.
The UN General Assembly will this week consider an annual Resolution titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, Mr. Ramotar, along with former Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves; former Prime Ministers of Jamaica, P. J Patterson and Bruce Golding; and former Prime Ministers of Grenada, Tillman Thomas and Keith Mitchell, among others, urged the members of the UN to back Havana.
The former CARICOM Heads of Government said the American imposition is contrary to international law and every civilized precept of life and living.
“Every year since 1992, UNGA has been adopting overwhelmingly a Resolution on this subject. Yet, the USA has been ignoring the clear voice of the international community, the requisites of international law, and the most elemental of civilising principles,” the leaders said.
The former Heads of Government also said as the UN prepares to put the Resolution to a vote again, it is important for all nations to vote in its favour at UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
The leaders said the vote on the UNGA Resolution this year is more urgent and important than
ever before, explaining that the US has intensified its pressure on Cuba.
“In recent months, the US government has further ramped up its illegal embargo against Cuba in an attempt to starve the Cuban people into submission through the imposition of third-party sanctions against any government or entity which grants, sells or transports energy products, including gasoline and diesel, to Cuba. Surely, such US conduct is inhumane, and undoubtedly contrary to international law,” the former Heads of Government said.
Ramotar and the other leaders also called on countries across the world to resist the “blandishments and pressures” currently being deployed by the USA to derail and defeat the proposed UNGA Resolution.
“The US embargo continues to be a threat to hemispheric and international peace and security; the embargo is a brazen violation of Cuba’s right to sovereignty and independence; the embargo derogates from the most elemental human rights of a people established and declared by international law. The unilateral, coercive actions of the USA against Cuba represent the law of the jungle, and can in no way be justified by the Charter of the United Nations or any other source of international law and justice,” the leaders said.
The former Heads of Government said is not a threat to anyone, anywhere.
Former Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart and former Prime Minister of Belize, Saed Musa are among the other former CARICON Heads of Government who signed onto the joint statement ahead of the UNGA vote.
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