U.S. Blockade on Cuba, a Major Obstacle to Development

Geneva, May 8. – Cuba reaffirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. over-50-year-old blockade is a mass, flagrant and systematic violation of human rights and is the main obstacle to the people's development.

That economic, commercial and financial seige persists and intensifies despite the repeated and almost unanimous demand from the international community for its lifting, denounced Cuban representative Juan Antonio Quintanilla.

Speaking at the 13th session of the Working Group on the Right to Development, Quintanilla noted that the direct economic damage caused by the blockade until December 2010, at current prices and estimated very conservatively, exceeds 104 billion dollars.

This figure would rise to 975 billion if the depreciation of the dollar against the value of gold on the international financial market is taken into consideration, he emphasized.

The diplomat stressed that the blockade should be lifted immediately, as requested by the UN General Assembly on 20 consecutive occasions.

He also noted that despite the limitations, attacks and threats, his country has made great achievements in human rights, the result of sacrifice and work of its people.

Cuba will continue to denounce this unilateral, absurd, illegal and morally unsustainable policy that has not met and will not even meet the purpose of breaking up the patriotic decision of the people to preserve their sovereignty, he affirmed.

The session of the Working Group on the Right to Development, a subsidiary body of the Human Rights Council, will be held until February 11 and will be attended by representatives of countries from all regions, particularly the Non-Aligned Movement, according to a press release from the Cuban mission in Geneva.(Prensa Latina)