In the first United Nations vote on a resolution condemning the U.S. embargo against Cuba since the two countries renewed diplomatic ties in July, Cuba scored its biggest victory yet as the General Assembly voted 191-2 to adopt the resolution. The only drama was how the United States would vote after its Dec. 17 announcement of a rapprochement with Cuba and its renewal of diplomatic relations with Havana in July after a gap of more than 54 years. In explaining its “no” vote, the United States said that it couldn’t support the resolution because “the text falls short of reflecting the significant steps that have been taken and the spirit of engagement President [Barack] Obama has championed.” The other no vote came from Israel, which has consistently voted with its ally on this issue. “If Cuba thinks this exercise will help move things forward in the direction both governments have indicated they wish, it is mistaken,” Ambassador Ronald D. Godard, U.S. senior area adviser for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said at the General Assembly. It is regretted that despite its public plans to ease sanctions against Cuba, which are there for over four decades, the United States is still not ready to yield fully to the will and aspirations of the global community. The overwhelming support for Cuba on Tuesday was a clear message that the world is against these tyrannical sanctions and wants their immediate end. This was the strongest ever support extended by the UN on the issue but regrettably the United States is not listening to the voices of reason and instead of accepting the verdict of the majority, as is the case in democracy, it has described the passage of resolution as ‘unfortunate’. Speaking on the resolution, representatives of different countries rightly pointed out that it was the most unjust, severe, and longest lasting system of unilateral sanctions ever applied to any country. Cuban people surely suffered a lot due to these uncalled for sanctions but the fact remains that these strengthened resolve of Cuban nation and their leadership to withstand pressure aimed at undermining their sovereignty. Fidel Castro and his successor acted as true leaders and led their country in its struggle to resist sanctions and act like dignified nation. The United States has been using sanctions as a foreign policy tool for arms-twisting of other countries. But history tells us that none of the sanctions paid back fully as envisaged by their architects and instead they did more harm to the world as well as the United States itself. While praising people of Cuba and their leadership, we would urge the United States to read writing on the wall and discard this absurd foreign policy tool of sanctions.
pk.shafaqna.com
