Against the smoke screen: Twelve days that shook the Cuban blockade

by: Iroel Sánchez

source Cubadebate

translation Cuba-Network in Defense of Humanity

You cannot object that the US strategy lacks foresight. Aware that September was close approaching announced with great pomp a group of measures towards Cuba that left the blockade intact and strengthened the intent to build a private Cuban sector that could serves as an ally in the transit of the Island to capitalism, without counting on the laws and sovereignty of the Island. 

The smoke screen to cover the Cuban accusation against the blockade in the United Nations was launched. It was not by chance that two days before the Cuban Foreign Affairs ministry had presented a report on the”Need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” that the General Assembly will submit to a vote o October 27 and had announced the presence of the Cuban president to the highest level of this world forum as of September 25.

That same afternoon the Cuban president and the president of the United States spoke by telephone and according to the Cuban press “President Raúl Castro emphasized the need for depth of reach and definitely eliminate the policy of the blockade that would benefit both peoples”.

On the 18th Raúl received the president of UNESCO who visited Cuba for a meeting of the Culture Ministers of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Part of the intense international activity that took him two days later to receive the presidents of Namibia and Panama. The following day he would welcome Pope Francisco and the Argentine president, Cristina Fernández. The welcoming words of Raúl were transmitted live by many international television channels insisting: “We have appreciated the support of the dialogue between the United States and Cuba. The re establishment of diplomatic relations has been a first step in the process towards normalization of the ties between both countries to solve problems and mend injustices. The blockade that causes human damages and hardships to the Cuban families is the cruel, immoral and illegal and should stop. The territory usurped by the Guantanamo Naval Base must be returned to Cuba. Other issues should also be discussed. These are the just demands shared by the peoples and immense majority of the governments of the world”.

The visit of Pope Francisco to Cuba was a success for the Cuban government, the microscopic search of the western mass media to find the slighted hint of an attack against the Cuban Revolution ended in nothing. On the contrary, his message connected with the humanist philosophy of the revolutionary process and in specific questions by the press in the airplane in which he traveled to Washington made no concession to those who would serve those who would confront the Revolution.

Shortly after bidding farewell to the Pope Cuban foreign policy harvested an enormous success. At left of Raúl in Havana were the Colombian president and the leader of the FARC to open the doors to an agreement for a six month goal to reach the so desired and definitive peace in the South American country. But the best was still to come. The following day the Cuban president would arrive in New York to participate in the activities of the UN General Assembly. His three speeches in the multi lateral forums were a loud speaker to explain the social achievements of Cuba and accuse the Blockade.

In the Summit for the later agenda of the Objectives of the Millennium Raúl explained the results that place Cuba among the minority countries to have achieved the total fulfillment of these goals despite “the economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba for more than half a century that is the main obstacle to the economic development of the Island and reaches other nations for its extra territorial character”. In the Summit of gender equality and empowering or women, although he recognized that “there is still much to do” the figures offered by the Cuban president surpass those of the country that blockades Cuba:

“Life expectancy at birth of Cuban women is 80.45 years; the rate of direct maternal mortality is only 21.4 for every hundred thousand born alive, one of the lowest in the world; represent 48% of the total number of persons working in the civilian state sector and 46% of the high positions of direction; 78,5% health professionals, 48% of scientific researchers and 66.8% of the highly quality of technical and professional labor force. The study an average of 10,2 grades and are 65% of the graduates of higher education.

“In our Parliament there are 48 and 86% of women that places us in second place in the American hemisphere, only surpassed by Bolivia and fourth in the world”.

In his third speech in the 70th Period of Sessions of the UN General Assembly, Raúl received the large ovation. All the subjects of tradition of the principles of the Cuban foreign policy were supported. He demanded the return of the Falkland Islands to Argentina, independence of Puerto Rico, establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital in western Jerusalem, among other issues).

The verticality of the incorporation of other subjects such as the accusation of subversive use of the Technologies of Information and Communications (TIC) the “soft coups” that have been perfected in ways to of non conventional action, to imply new technologies and brandishing alleged violations of human rights and militarization of the cyber space”, the support of countries that confront intents destabilization (Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil), the accusation of NATO actions against Russia, the roots of the humanitarian crisis of the European Union that must be assumed because “it helped to promote it”, the end of foreign interference in Syria and other issues were characteristic in the speech that did not take part in such a hot issue of the international reality that is always against the powerful. Perhaps this explains the constant interruption by applauses of the majority participants. But what captured the headlines was the position on conditions to normalize relations with the US “that will be achieved when the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba is ended and Cuba is given back its territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo Naval Base,, when radio and television transmission and the programs of subversion and destabilization against the island cease and our people are compensated for the human and economic damages it still suffers”.

Regarding bilateral issues in the agenda Raúl confirmed that Obama had recognized the day before the failure of the strategy of US isolation. He met with the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, with the presidents of Russia, Valdimir Putin; of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro; of François Hollande France; of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko; and of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, and the prime minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven and presided over the establishment of relations with two small Islands in the Pacific Ocean that occasionally accompanied Washington in its vote against the blockade in the UN.

Influential US citizens were interested in having talks with the Cuban president. Former President William Clinton, the Mayor and Governor of New York, a group of eleven congress persons, important business executives and the members of the board of the United States Chamber of Commerce were received by Raúl. US citizens who have acted in solidarity with Cuba included prominent figures of culture such as Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover and many groups of Cuban residents in the US met with the Cuban leader in the Cuban Mission to the UN. All expressed their opposition to the blockade.

The image of Raúl between Obama and his wife in a reception offered by the President of the United States and later official meeting of the delegations of Cuba and the US must have the ultra right wing sectors of Miami with heart attacks for defending hostilities between both countries. The immediate press conference of Cuban Foreign Affairs minister, Bruno Rodríguez, after conclusion of the meeting again referred to the enforcement of the blockade and the next presentation Cuba will make in the report before the UN, in the center of international attention.

That afternoon of the meeting with Obama, and for all those who are assured who are our friends Raúl awarded the president of Vietnam in his visit to Havana, The Vietnamese leader before returning to his country signed six important e have economic agreements that again tells the US companies the opportunities they have missed thanks to the blockade.

And the smoke screen? Very well thank you? Does anyone remember it? 

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