By José R. Oro / November 8, 2019
In this fall of 2019, which has already seen extraordinary victories of the Latin American progressive movement, Cuba is preparing for a new battle, perhaps the most bitter in a long time, to overwhelmingly approve the resolution condemning the blockade against our country, which is known in the very formal language of the UN as “item 39”, “Need to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
It is a sunny autumn day, but rather cold –between 11º and 7º C-. Sunrise highlights the line of skyscrapers on the island of Manhattan in New York. “The city of the yellow devil”, the great Maxim Gorky called it more than a century ago. There is, quite paradoxically, the headquarters of the United Nations Organization (UN) created by its constituent Charter “to maintain international peace and security …, promote friendly relations between nations …, achieve international cooperation to solve problems global and serve as a center that harmonizes the actions of nations. Its headquarters is an impressive architectural complex along the East River.
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla has expressed in advance the truths of Cuba:
- Bruno Rodríguez: US blockade against Cuba, main obstacle to the 2030 Agenda
- Cuban Foreign Minister denounces US pressure on Latin American countries before the UN vote against the blockade
- Download the Report on the effects of the Blockade on Cuba (+ PDF)
Countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Mexico, Russia, the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Syria, and many others are preparing to defend Cuba tooth and nail, while very few delegations led by the United States They are trying to sabotage the resolution, something they already tried the previous year, with the bicoca of ten votes in favor of Cuba and against the United States!
The United States of Donald Trump, with the help of his fellow believers Bolsonaro, Duque, Piñera and other ruffians, is going to attack Cuba and seek a non-existent link between the cruel blockade with relations between Cuba and Venezuela, and other similar atrocities. Cuba is going to win overwhelmingly, but it is going to be the most relentless discussion in that high forum in a long time.
It calls my attention what will be the vote of Argentina (with Macri as the exit), of El Salvador, Honduras, Ecuador of the disloyal L. Moreno. Will the leaders of those countries shame themselves for kneeling in front of Trump? What will happen to Israel’s vote, with a politically dying (or dead) Bibi Netanyahu? Will Trump delay “aid” to Ukraine even longer if he votes for Cuba?
Cuba is going to win overwhelmingly, with a ruthless confrontation against world fascism!
First session of the UN General Assembly, November 6, 2019
A few minutes after 10:00 am, the President of the General Assembly, the Nigerian Tijjani-Muhammad Bande, called the session open. The ambassadors to the UN from various countries speak. Azerbaijan on behalf of NAM strongly denounced the blockade. Mexico, Grenada, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Vietnam, Russia, Tunisia –on behalf of the African Group– and other countries vigorously demanded an end to the blockade. Particularly energetic were the interventions of the representatives of Algeria, Syria, Singapore – also representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Palestine and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, with an emphasis on denouncing the extraterritoriality of the criminal measures of the Trump government ,
Almost at noon, the Kenyan ambassador expresses that “these sanctions are contrary to the spirit of the UN and must end,” the statements continue with the presentation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, very well prepared with an intense criticism against Title III of the “Helms Burton”: “unequivocal rejection of the illegal, immoral and irrational blockade of the United States against Cuba.”
During the last hour of the session on Wednesday, November 6, the most significant interventions were given by the ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, who was categorical and to the point: “these criminal actions conspire against the right of the Cuban people to life and development ”(…). “China denounces and demands the end of the illegal blockade against Cuba.”
The statements of Suriname followed, Gabon that mentioned the damage of the Blockade even to Cubans residing abroad, Angola that expressed “the damage of the blockade that acts directly on the people of Cuba, especially the most vulnerable people, children, the sick, seniors”. Nicaragua’s intervention was very emotional and sincere, highly applauded by the representatives and the public. Belize spoke out strongly against the blockade, as did Indonesia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Several delegations expressed their full condemnation of the economic war against Cuba, including Jamaica, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sudan and Guyana.
At 1:19 pm, the session corresponding to November 6 was closed, after the active participation of 37 countries and regional groups, in a complete and universal condemnation of the illegal blockade. The enemies of Cuba, at the service of the Trump government, so far are conspicuous by their absence, although we know that they are secretly present.
Decision Day, November 7, 2019
As a historical coincidence, the 102nd anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution will see the strongest debates and the vote on the resolution against the blockade. The great Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla will take the floor to present the Cuban demands for justice.
From very early on, several Cubans residing in the United States wait for the entrance to the security checks to begin. We are convinced that the Minister of MINREX and the delegation of our country, with their calm and decisive way of expressing the truths of Cuba, will confront and defeat any attempt to devalue and dilute the resolution condemning the United States.
Unlike yesterday, today dawned cloudy and humid in New York, the thermometer read 8º C but it felt much colder. In the area designated for the public in the General Assembly there were present Cubans residing in the states close to the great New York city, Hispanics, African Americans and white Americans who support Cuba. There was also a Ghanaian graduate student, who came to support us. We started to reach the entrance of the security checkpoint to enter the huge, extraordinary building.
At 10:00 am the debate and voting on the resolution resumed, scheduled until 1:00 pm The first to speak was the representative of Namibia, followed by Egypt, the very inspired Jorge Arreaza of sister Venezuela, San Cristóbal and Nieves. At that time, the US ambassador, Kelly Craft, who bears her last name well ( craft in English has a meaning of something ladino or tricky and crafty) was invited to the podium.she is an entangling person), she is married to a billionaire in the coal industry, closely linked to the high republican hierarchy. 57 years old, K. Craft is as liar as possible to be, although with a way of expression – in my opinion – less vulgar than that of her predecessor Nikki Haley. That is to say, it expresses the same and even worse, but something less insolent than Haley.
Kelly Craft spoke a substantial amount of gofio and lies raw against Cuba, but his speech will be remembered for an error of fright when he said “my remarks will be brief, I came not to confuse ( Confuse English)” but what he said for lapsus linguae (¿?) was “I have not come to confess ( confess )”. Everyone who heard the interventions in English began to laugh out loud. I will never forget it for the rest of my life.
Kelly Craft’s speech was followed by several interventions, the one from Bolivia stood out, so sincere and moving. A little later, at 11:31 a.m., US Ambassador Kelly Craft and two assistants got up and left. With good reason. At 11:32 am, the great Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla walked to the podium and crushed, one by one, all the fallacies and “tricks” of the aforementioned ambassador.
It is one of the most accurate and spectacular speeches I have ever heard, which was applauded by those present, something very rare in the daily practice of the General Assembly. In about 30 minutes he made the truth about Cuba and the lie of the United States clear and evident. For me, the phrase of the day was among many others:
“Cuba recognizes the ethical and political gulf that exists between the American people and its government and will do everything possible to develop the deep and broad ties that unite its citizens.”
All the Americans in the audience showed visible approval and satisfaction with the words of the great Cuban Foreign Minister.
Then came several interventions from the seats (not from the podium). Macri’s Argentine ambassador was very clear, to the point of expressing his unequivocal condemnation of the blockade and his country’s support for Cuba. I confess that I did not expect it, on the contrary, I thought that Macri would say goodbye at the UN with an act of supine submission to Trump. It wasn’t like that, not at all, I was completely wrong in my premonitions.
The vote immediately took place. Cuba received 187 votes in favor, 3 against (Trump, Netanyahu, Bolsonaro), 2 abstentions (Colombia de Uribe / Duque and Ukraine). Moldova was not for all that.
Some opinions of those attending the debate
When we saw the results of the vote on the screens, Gilberto Antonio Villa, an 83-year-old Cuban who has lived in New York for six decades, commented: “Although many think that this vote does not have a practical effect, it does have that value. that Cuba’s enemies cannot count on an complicit silence “to hide their criminal actions,” I am 83 years old and I will always love Cuba, my homeland, until my last breath.
I ask Ike Nahem how he saw the result of this vote, his answer is: “The Trump administration did its best to recruit submissive and obedient governments to try to achieve a less devastating result in the vote, it did not succeed, the numbers are obvious. The best moment of these two days was the speech by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla ”.
One of the most active people during the session was the American leftist leader Seth Galinsky, a leader of the Socialist Workers Party, who has published in the weekly The Militant – distributed in half a dozen countries – in-depth articles on Cuba and Latin America. , in addition to those referring to the American working class. Galinsky expressed “I am filled with great joy for the overwhelming victory of Cuba, of justice and of socialism. For the people of the United States this is also a great victory. The total defeat of the current Trump administration before world society is another milestone in favor of the whole world and, of course, the overwhelming majority of Americans, who want to live in peace and harmony with the rest of humanity. Long live Cuba! “
A prominent American social leader and educator, Mary L., could not hide her joy at the overwhelming results of the vote, “in these moments when the United States is going through moments of great decisions for its future, it is impressive that it suffers for the current government an international repudiation of 197-3-2, that shows that the international policy of this government is arrogant, that instead of progressing backwards in those achieved since the end of 2014, which not only with Cuba, but practically in the world whole carries a wrong policy and harmful to the genuine interests of the US Long live Cuba! “
At the exit, in the lobby of the General Assembly, a small but characteristic incident. Some two dozen people (almost all Hispanics, not Cubans), students many of them, were taking a photo with two medium-sized posters that read: “Down with the Blockade against Cuba!” and “Freedom for Lula!”, a policeman arrived and took away the two posters, which caused a small incident that ended with the intervention of a UN police officer (a native of Zimbabwe), who returned the posters to them. and he told them that if they wanted to take photos as a matter of policy, they shouldn’t do it outside the building.
But the most important part was that when they asked him why are you taking away the posters, the first policeman pointed with his index finger at his police “badge” on his shirt and said “I do it because I have this and I do what I understand.” A young man in a cap suggested to the policeman, in very good English, what he should do with the “badge.” In short, the sea.
New great victory for Cuba!
The vote leaves no room for doubt, Cuba turned out to be absolutely victorious and the United States, once again, humiliatingly defeated by the vote of the vast majority of UN members, many of them its main allies and partners. commercial and economic.
One of the characteristics that I observed this year was that the pronouncements of the many countries were much more direct, less “technical” than in the past, insisting that the UN must implement its agreements to the maximum extent possible.
The polarization that Trump has created was also observed, as well as the intensified actions that the exacerbated imperialism and fascism have brought to the world today. Even countries that are usually “passive” or “prudent” in the international arena, spoke with energy and with clear language in favor of Cuba.
The defeat of the United States and its current government has no limits, especially because of the enormous effort they made “behind the scenes” to try to change this humiliating vote. Great and exciting victory for Cuba!
Together vs the Blockade against Cuba 