9 November, 2006



Cuba defeats US manoeuvre that sought to use Australia as a pawn

WASHINGTON, November 8. The US blockade of Cuba was dealt the most severe blow in its history when a Cuban draft Resolution at the UN demanding its lifting received 183 votes in favour (compared to 182 in 2005); this is a record high since the resolution was first brought before the UN General Assembly 15 years ago.

This time, and as has now become customary, four countries voted against the resolution: the United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands and Palau. The second is a US province and the latter two have been protectorates of the United States for the last 60 year —their foreign affairs and budgets are controlled by Washington. Absent from the vote were Nicaragua, the Ivory Coast, El Salvador and Iraq. The rest of the world voted against the blockade.

Speaking by telephone from New York, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said that the 15th condemnation of the US blockade at the General Assembly has been the most important for Cuba because it was achieved amidst difficult conditions and brutal pressures being exerted by Washington.

An attempt to change the spirit of the resolution, made by the United States through a servile Australia, was defeated by more than two-thirds of the UN members in what amounted to the first victory of the day for Cuba. Since Monday, the US mission to the UN had been manoeuvring to find a mouthpiece to represent it with a proposal to change the Cuban draft Resolution. Only on the eve of the vote did the US diplomats contact Australia, which lent itself to serve as their accomplice in presenting the amendment accusing Cuba of human rights violations.

The attempt was frustrated by Cuba when Ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca requested a motion of no action, which received the support of 126 states, while 54 voted against it, and five nations abstained. With that vote the US ploy was foiled.

The Prensa Latina correspondent in New York spoke with several delegates who voted in support of the "No Action" motion of Cuba. Anthony B. Severin, from St. Lucia, spoke on behalf of the Caribbean Community; Mexico also opposed the change and dubbed it a dangerous attempt, since the Australian proposal tried to justify the very existence of the blockade. The South African representative, Sivo Maqungo, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 (134 nations), rebuffed the Australian amendment and ratified those nations’ support for the Cuban resolution, as did Russia and China.

Before the vote, the US tried to justify the blockade, but Cuban Alternate Ambassador Ileana Nunez rebutted the statements. She blasted Washington’s efforts to reinforce acts of aggression against Cuba and argued that the US —always disposed to unleash wars of conquests, bombing civilian populations and torturing prisoners— had no moral authority to raise the issue of human rights.

After the vote on the Cuban Resolution was taken electronically, numerous permanent representatives approached the Cuban delegation to congratulate its members and to inquire about the health of Cuban President Fidel Castro.