The Guardian 7 November, 2007
International community
rejects Cuba Blockade
Tomás A Granados
UN, October 30: Cuba won a resounding victory in its sustained resistance to the economic blockade imposed by the United States by receiving the virtually unanimous support of the world community to its demand to put an end to that measure.
In the vote on a resolution at the end of the debate in the UN General Assembly on the issue of the US blockade imposed on Cuba, 184 of the 192 member states of this international organisation asked Washington to halt that practice.
For Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque this is a historic victory that has special value given that it took place just a few days after President George W Bush called on the international community to support his blockade policy.
The resolution passed for the 16th consecutive time highlights the "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States on Cuba."
As was the case in last year’s debate, the US vote against the resolution was accompanied by Marshall Islands and Palau (former US protectorates but now sovereign states in "free association" with the US) and Israel. The Federated States of Micronesia (another "free association" country) abstained.
Last year, the resolution against that coercive measure imposed on Cuba by the US government had 183 votes in favour, in itself a record compared to earlier years.
More than 20 countries and representatives of UN groups, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the G-77, CARICOM and MERCOSUR expressed their positions against the blockade during the debate.
Granma