To Political Parties and Friendly Organizations:

Comrades,

The behaviour of the US Government since October 2008 – when Resolution 63/7 was adopted – until May 2009, confirms that the United States has not taken any step to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade that it has imposed on our island. On the contrary, once again the US Government has ignored the claim of the international community and is carrying out numerous actions to maintain and reinforce its policy of aggressions against our country.

Making it easier for Cuban-American citizens to travel to Cuba and send money remittances to their families does not mean a qualitative change in the policy of the blockade that, in its essence, remains intact. Since President Obama’s assumption of power, new sanctions have been adopted against individuals who have travelled to our country and against US companies that have maintained their business relations with Cuba through third countries.

The direct economic damage caused to the Cuban people until December 2008 by the implementation of the US economic, commercial and financial blockade is estimated, in a very conservative way, at over 96 billion dollars.

The US blockade violates the most elementary norms of international law. It is contrary to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. It is a transgression of the right of a sovereign state to peace, development and security. It is, in its essence and aims, an act of unilateral aggression and a permanent threat against the stability of our country. It is a flagrant, massive and systematic violation of the rights of our people. It also violates the constitutional rights of the American people by undermining their freedom to travel to Cuba. Due to its extraterritorial nature, it also violates the sovereign rights of many other states.

In spite of the intense and growing claims made by the international community to the new US Government for the lifting of the blockade and the normalization of bilateral relations with Cuba, the Obama Administration has maintained this cruel and unjust policy intact.

Besides being illegal, the blockade is morally unsustainable. A similar system of unilateral sanctions has never been imposed for such a long period against any country of the world.

Once again, for eighteen consecutive years, the UN General Assembly will vote a resolution condemning the blockade. It is for this reason that we are requesting you to join this international claim demanding the immediate and unconditional end of this act of genocide.

Department of International Relations
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba
http://www.solidnet.org