Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional
Unida Nicaragua Triunfa
INTERVENTION BY NICARAGUA
THE NEED TO PUT AN END TO THE ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL BLOCKADE
IMPOSED BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AGAINST CUBA.
New York
23 June 2021
Thank you very much Mr. President,
1. We join the statements made by the representatives of Guinea on behalf of the G77+China and Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
2. Nicaragua joins the Peoples of the world in reiterating, once again, its rejection to the criminal, illegal, immoral and unjust economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on the Brotherly People and Government of Cuba, an Extraordinary People, who have fought a titanic battle over 60 years, resisting invasions, acts of terrorism, economic sanctions, blockades and all the entanglements of imperialism and its destabilizing actions.
3. We salute the presence of our Brother, Comrade Bruno Rodríguez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, who travels during these exceptional times of Pandemic, to share with us the unfortunate economic, commercial and financial damage caused by this nefarious blockade on the Cuban People, all due to the continuity and resurgence of this obsolete and retrograde policy, despite the fact that year after year since 1992, the universe of countries in the General Assembly has called for the elimination of these measures.
4. Nicaragua, like all developing countries and the international community as a whole, observes with concern, the Sanctions and Unilateral and Coercive Measures, the blockade imposed in times of the Pandemic, which now becomes a crime against humanity. The Blockade directly affects the right to development of this Brave People, violating all human rights and undermining the efforts of the Cuban People to implement the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
5. Cuba has shown that, between April 2019 and March 2020, the blockade intensified its effects on sensitive sectors, such as Health, Education, Sports, Culture among others, amounting to 5 thousand 570.3 million dollars, a figure that exceeds by around 1,226 million dollars the amount registered during the previous stage between April 2018 to March 2019, with an accumulated amount of 144,413.4 million dollars in damages during the almost 6 decades of application of this anachronistic policy.
6. We denounce the 5 packages of measures adopted in 2019, in order to monitor and impose punitive measures against companies, ships and shipping companies that transport fuel to Cuba.
7. This Blockade has diminished the efforts of this noble country to combat the Pandemic, in particular, its extraterritorial component, that deliberately deprives the Cuban People of mechanical lung ventilators, masks, diagnostic kits, protective glasses, suits, gloves, reagents and other supplies that are necessary for the management of this disease.
8. It is admirable that Cuba, in its fight against this blockade, despite the aggressions and defamation policies, has had the ability to contribute with 57 brigades of the “Henry Reeve” Contingent, which have collaborated in the prevention, combating and attention to the covid-19 pandemic in 40 countries and territories of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
9. Loyal to the motto of “doctors and not bombs”, this white coat army has joined the 28 thousand professionals who already gave their solidarity and selfless help to 59 nations, to victims of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and floods or successfully facing the dengue and ebola epidemics.
10. Scientists from the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of the attacked Cuba, have developed five vaccine candidates against Covid-19. Cuba thus becomes the first country in Our America to manufacture its own vaccine and apply it freely and universally to its People. It is not by chance that their vaccines are called "Soberana", "Mambisa" and "Abdala", in honor to José Martí.
11. We share a message of Love and Brotherhood, to the Cuban People and Government, to the more than 11 million Cuban hearts, for their internationalism and their selfless contributions to all campaigns and social programs in Nicaragua, in Health, Education, Sports and so many other aspects, to tell them firmly that our Peoples are and will be united in their cause, until victory and beyond.
12. We are convinced that no state has the right to dictate its will to others, through unilateral coercive economic measures that violate international law and the Charter of the United Nations. This practice is illegitimate, illegal, and devalues the progress made in global economic governance.
Mr. President,
13. Nicaragua wishes that, once and for all, the numerous United Nations resolutions are respected and fulfilled, in order to put an end to this illegal policy against Cuba, and to lay out the foundations for a respectful dialogue, to resolve bilateral pending issues between both countries, based on the equality of States, reciprocity, and respect for the Sovereignty and Independence of Cuba.
14. We are fully convinced that International Solidarity with Cuba will continue in force, that the General Assembly today will once again condemn this criminal blockade, and all the extraterritorial measures and ramifications that continue to intensify against the Sister Republic of Cuba.
15. We share with you what was expressed by our President Comandante Daniel recently:
“Our Solidarity with President Miguel Díaz-Canel, with Comandante Raúl Castro and with the People of Cuba, we accompany them in that fight for Peace that the People of Cuba are waging ... A fight for Peace where the People of Cuba even draw strength from weakness; when it moves entire Brigades to different parts of the planet to help in the field of Health. They have done it and are doing it right now in the face of this Pandemic, the Cuban Medical Brigades going to remote areas where Brigades from Developed Countries do not arrive...No, Brigades do not arrive there, but there are the Medical Brigades of the Cuban Brothers. And despite that act of Solidarity, Generosity, and Struggle for Peace, that Blockade, which is illegal, remains there, it is maintained with the same intensity, with the same brutality with which President Trump tightened it even more, squeezed iy even more. And who suffers? The Cuban people suffer from this blockade.”
16. Nicaragua will always be United with the Formidable Spirit of Martí, Fidel, Raúl, Díaz-Canel and the Great People of Cuba!
17. Nicaragua, as every year, will vote in favor of draft resolution A/75/L.97, and today this General Assembly, by universally approving this resolution presented by Cuba, will be defending Multilateralism, the Charter of the United Nations, seeking the desired Understanding, the Peaceful Coexistence between Nations, and promoting that Culture of Peace that we all talk about and desire.
Thank you.