Cuban Foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez is already in New York for the UN General Assembly vote on the Cuban-sponsored resolution on the necessity to end economic, commercial and financial blockade that Washington has maintained against the island for over 5 decades now.
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The resolution was adopted by the 193-member General Assembly with 191 votes in favor. It was greeted with applause as diplomats jumped to their feet in a standing ovation.
“If Cuba thinks this exercise will move things forward in the direction that both governments have indicated they wish, it is mistaken”, he said, adding that the resolution did not reflect “the significant steps taken and the spirit of engagement President Obama has championed”.
Godard warned that Cuba was “mistaken” if it believes that its resolution would put pressure on the United States. Washington asked Cuba not to submit the resolution but Havana declined. Ron Godard, a State Department official, told the Assembly that this was a “mistake” that could impede progress on the eventual the lifting of the embargo.
Obama told the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations general assembly last month he was “confident our Congress will inevitably lift an embargo that should not be in place any more”.
“Nevertheless, the United States will not be bound by a history of mistrust”.
Relations had been frozen since the early 1960s when the USA broke links and imposed a trade embargo on Cuba.
While the US Treasury and Commerce Departments had lifted a few restrictions on travel, telecommunications and remittances, Mamabolo said these were only the “tip of the iceberg”. They also said they were disappointed Cuba had chose to present a resolution “identical” to those in the past years. “All countries deserve to be allowed to do business in an open and just environment as this is a sovereign right that needs to be recognized”.
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Cuba estimates that damage from what it terms a blockade amounts to more than US$830 billion and has long argued that the measure has brought hardship to the communist-ruled island.
