Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday of giving in to the “imperialist attempts” of “powerful governments” and judged that the organization, based in Geneva, was losing “credibility.” The diplomat took advantage of his speech to request, however, his re-election as a member of this international organization.
Rodríguez dedicated a large part of his speech to criticizing the foreign policy of the United States towards the Island and blurted out that no State “has the authority” to judge another in respect of human rights, since no one is “exempt from challenges.” He compared the Council to the “defunct Human Rights Commission” and claimed that this body “imploded” by becoming a “tribunal” to evaluate nations.
Cuba could be re-elected as a member of the Council next October in the period 2024-2026, and several countries, the foreign minister assured, have offered the Cuban government their “valuable support” in these elections.
Taking his presence in the organization for granted during the next period, he promised that the Island would defend a “universal vision but from the South”, aligned with “the poor, the neglected and excluded”, as long as his membership was ratified.
However, the stone in the shoe of Cuban diplomacy continues to be the United States, the minister pointed out. The Island does not yield, he said with his usual rhetoric, to the “designs of the masters of finance, markets and weapons.” He did not miss the opportunity to lament the “genocidal blockade policy” and to list, on the podium, the rosary of deals cut short with foreign companies due to US sanctions.
Rodríguez was meticulous in the list of financial problems of the Island, which he attributed, as usual, to the embargo
Rodríguez was meticulous in the list of financial problems of the Island, which he attributed, as usual, to the embargo. The United States, he said, is guilty of the “deterioration of consumption and the standard of living of families”, of “inflation, prices, salaries”, the lack of food and medicine, and also of the cuts in the electrical service , not to mention “industry, construction, services, commerce, investment, health and education”.
But what bothers the foreign minister significantly is the inclusion of Cuba in the “arbitrary list” of countries sponsoring terrorism prepared by the State Department, which remains in force to date, waiting for the Joe Biden Administration to decide whether to keep or not
This Tuesday the report was made public that argues the reasons why the US Government did not remove the Island from the list last year and, although “it does not constitute a new announcement” about what will happen in the future, both the foreign minister and The official press rushed to condemn, this Tuesday, the “infamous and unfounded” measure of the United States.
Rodríguez continued his tirade against the Biden Administration, with which Havana is attempting a second diplomatic “thaw,” accusing it of financing “destabilization and ‘regime change’ operations.” He added that the US discredits Cuban doctors and encourages “censorship and manipulation of the large digital networks against Cuba.”
The result, he said, is the emigration of “skilled people of working age.” The foreign minister confirmed that his government insists “with a firm and irreversible step” on socialism as an economic and social model, “with the broad majority and active support of the people.” He did not mention before the Council that those who peacefully oppose the Government suffer surveillance, persecution, arbitrary trials and long prison sentences in jails where human rights are systematically violated.
During his trip to Geneva, Rodríguez has held several meetings with senior United Nations officials and diplomats from allied countries of the Island, such as Venezuela and Vietnam.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
