US ban on Cuba

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In an UN resolution passed on June 23, 2021 denouncing the American economic ban on Cuba for the 29th year, US voted against it.

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Out of the 193 countries 184 countries supported the condemnation. US and Israel were against the resolution. Brazil, Colombia and Ukraine withhold their vote. Central African Republic, Myanmar, Moldova and Somalia are the four countries that did not vote.

US was against the resolution because they believe that sanctions play important role in promoting democracy and human rights that are core of US policy towards Cuba.

US has tightened economic, commercial and financial sanctions and has also restricted US citizens to travel to Cuba that has also deteriorated the tourism sector of the country. However most of the Americans want to establish normal relations and support lifting the embargo.

General Assembly resolutions are not lawfully binding and are not enforceable, but they definitely reflect world opinion.

The ban was imposed in 1960 following the revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalization of properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations.

It was in July 2016 that relations were officially restored by Former Cuban President Raul Castro and then-President Barack Obama and that year for the first time the U.S. called for to end the embargo. But again in 2017, Mr. Donald Trump, sharply criticized Cuba’s human rights record, and voted against the resolution.

Although US says that Cuba gets all considerate help from it and it is its principal trading partner but Cuba sharply disagrees with this statement. Cuba says that the damage done with this ban is ‘incalculable’ and under the 1948 Geneva Convention it is ‘an act of genocide’. Cuba calls for an end of this discrimination that has affected the health services, industry, trade and commerce of the nation.

Cuba wants to live in peace and without any blockade. The country wants to end the discrimination of commercial and financial relations with the rest of the world.