14 Oct 2015

Cuba Ambassador, Mr Jvan Corrales  says Botswana has played a pivotal role and made it  possible the United States rectification of the  Cuban economic blockade.

Mr Collares said this at the press briefing in Gaborone recently, where journalists were briefed  about resolution 69/5 of the United Nations General Assembly entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”

The UN report states that rejection of the blockade policy has been constant in several sectors of US society for many years. It goes on further to state that as of announcements of December 17, 2014 the development of talks between Cuba and the US to establish diplomatic relations, this rejection has grown considerably inside the US.

“Polls of citizen of Cuban origin in the US showed that, in the main, they too favoured the elimination of the commercial barriers imposed against Cuba. Lifting prohibitions to travel to Cuba, the ineffectiveness of the blockade, freeing up trade with Cuba, re-establishing diplomatic relations and others are aspects about which the opinion polls reveal the support prevailing among the US citizens,” he said.

“The announcement to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two countries and by President Barack Obama’s acknowledgement that his policy towards Cuba, including the blockade is obsolete and should  be eliminated. In his state of Union Speech of January 20, 2015, the President urged Congress to “begin the work of ending the embargo,” he said.

The report presents that as part of the changes in US policy towards Cuba, President Obama announced several measures directed towards modifying the application of some aspects of the blockade.

 It further states that, on January 16, 2015, amendments to the regulations of the departments of the treasury and commerce went into effect, which indeed constitute a step in the right direction but are limited and insufficient in the face of magnitude and scope of the blockade laws for Cuba and the rest of the world, laws which remain in force and are being rigorously applied.

The report states that  many of the limitations being imposed by the blockade against Cuba could appear should the US President apply with determination the ample executive faculties he has for those purposes, even if the total dismantling of that policy does not require  the Congress approval.  Ends