Needles for Cuba: Continued U.S. Embargo Hinders Island's Covid Fight

Cuba Solidarity News 

by Victoria Friends of Cuba

 

June 28, 2021

 

Because of the U.S. blockade, Cuba is having a hard time acquiring enough syringes to vaccinate all of its citizens against the pandemic. Our campaign to send syringes to Cuba continues. We are still accepting donations to purchase syringes to ship to Cuba. 

 

Last Wednesday, June 23, the resolution proposed by Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly, calling for “the necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” was overwhelmingly passed by 184 countries, with the usual U.S. and Israel voting against it and three abstentions from Colombia, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. Once again, for the 28th year, the world has opposed and condemned it and calls for the end of it. 

 

The Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodrigues Padilla reported to the General Assembly that, 

"The human damage is incalculable. No Cuban family’s life escapes the effects of this policy. It is neither legal nor ethical for a great power’s government to blockade a small nation in an attempt to impose a government of its own design; it is not permissible, and it is unacceptable." 

He denounced the United States government’s decision to use the pandemic as an ally in its unconventional war against the Revolution, intensifying the blockade and causing the country to lose some 5 billion dollars in just one year. He noted that also remaining in full force are the more than 240 hostile measures adopted by the administration of Donald Trump, which interrupted the delivery of remittances to Cuban families, hurt the nation’s self-employed, disrupted family reunification, and made the battle against COVID-19 more difficult. 

Before the vote, representatives from various countries spoke out against it, emphasizing the economic, financial, and commercial damage it imposes on Cuba, exposing the human rights violations it inflicts on all Cuban citizens, and emphasizing its genocidal and inhumane effects.

It is incredible that a country like Cuba, with only 11 million people, with hardly any natural resources for imperial countries to go and steal, which has not been any threat to anyone or any country, which has sent teachers and doctors to 164 countries to combat sickness, diseases, pandemics and illiteracy, gets treated in such a sadistic way by a country like the U.S. that keeps repeating its adherence to human rights, democracy and freedom.

Since the formation of our Victoria Friends of Cuba organization in 1993, the main focus of our campaign, like that of thousands of other organizations around the world, has been to end the US blockade of Cuba and to tell the truth about what kind of country Cuba is. 

With our committee, supporters and people who stand for justice, equality and peace, we will continue in our struggle to keep exposing the inhumane, illegal and genocidal effects of the longest blockade that has ever been imposed by the richest and most militaristic country on the globe on a tiny country that wants to be free and independent. We will continue to stand in solidarity, friendship, and love with our neighbours who are doing so much for humanity with so little.


Cheques towards the Syringe Campaign can be made out to "Victoria Friends of Cuba" and sent to:
1584 Strathcona Heights, Shawnigan Lake, B.C. V0R 2W2

Your continued Solidarity and Support is very much appreciated as always.

In Solidarity,
Victoria Friends of Cuba