Ahead of today's vote by the United Nations General Assembly on a report and resolution highlighting the need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer called for an immediate end to the blockade.

Gabi Zimmer said: “We welcome this endeavour by the United Nations General Assembly to put pressure on the United States to end the embargo on Cuba. The Cuban people have been suffering the adverse effects of this blockade for some 55 years – the most unjust, severe and longest-lasting system of unilateral sanctions ever applied to any country. It has caused not only economic damage to the Cuban people of thousands of billions of dollars during this period but this policy violates the Cuban people's basic human rights, affecting their right to education, food, culture, sport and health. It is high time that it was lifted to enable both the country and its people to develop fully socially and economically.”

“If the United States is serious about re-establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, it must revoke this blockade urgently. There can be no true relationship between the two countries at any level until this is done. President Obama must keep the promises he made and work for the complete elimination of the economic, commercial and financial restrictions on Cuba,” Gabi Zimmer concluded.

 

GUE/NGL Press Contact:

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20

Nikki Sullings + 32 483 03 55 75