Cuba repeats call on US to end blockade

Accra, Oct 12, GNA - Cuba has repeated its call on the United States of America (USA) to lift the trade, economic, commercial and financial embargo on it and halt other subtle restrictions on its economic relations with other countries.

There would be a vote on the subject on October 28, 2004 a document made available to Journalists at a press conference in Accra said on Tuesday.

The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana Professor Lucas Pollendo, speaking at the press conference catalogued the hardships emanating from the blockade, which included economic, health education and its tourism sector. "We hope on October 28 we would defeat the policies of the US against Cuba and will continue with the good relations with the rest of the world", Prof Pollendo said.

According to the document, Cuba for the first time since 1962, when the blockade was put in place presented at the United Nations a draft resolution calling for the end of the blockade.

However, due to enormous pressures from the US and other countries, Cuba decided to postpone any discussions on the subject. In 1992, following the enactment of the Toricelli Act, Cuba presented such draft resolution again, adopted by the UN General Assembly under the title, "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo Imposed f by the United States of America against Cuba."

Dr Pollendo described the embargo as the longest standing economic, commercial and financial blockade in history, adding that over 10 US Administrations had already enforced, extended and even further tightened it.

"The blockade qualifies as real act of genocide, he said, adding that the objective was to overthrow the Cuban Revolution in order to impose neo-colonialist domination in Cuba."

Dr Pollendo said the blockade had cost Cuba 79.325 billion dollars in the 42 years of its existence.