United Nations, Nov 12, (RHC), -- The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Tuesday for the 21 consecutive year a draft resolution calling for the lifting of the unjust and illegal economic blockade imposed by the government of the United States against Cuba.

On each occasion, the plenary of the General Assembly approved almost unanimously the document entitled “The necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”.

Last year, the resolution was baked by 186 of the 193 member countries of the world body, with the only two votes against (United States and Israel) and three abstentions (Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau).

The U.S.economic siege attempts to strangle Cuba’s economy and people by starvation and hardship, and despite the efforts of the Cuban government to curb its harmful effects it continues considerably affecting socially sensitive sectors, like health care and food.

Between May 2011 and April 2012, the health care sector incurred losses amounting to around 10 million dollars, mainly due to the remoteness from foreign markets and increased import prices of medicines, reagents, disposables, spare parts, medical instruments and equipment.

From March 2011 to March 2012, damages to the food sector are estimated at 131,572,967 dollars, as a result of importing foodstuffs from distant markets, increased insurance and freight costs, plus the additional cost of tying up resources in inventories, among other factors. 

The blockade not only affects economic and trade relations between the U.S.and Cuba but also those of Cuba with the rest of the world, as it seeks to prevent the Havana from broadening its commercial ties and attempts to meet their needs in other markets outside the U.S.

We should not forget, for example, that among the first measures of the hostile policy were the sanctions to the owners of any ship that move goods to or from Cuba, prohibiting them from touching U.S.ports for a long period of time.

Or the persecution of Cuban accounts in foreign banks, cutting the island's relations with international lenders, and the prohibition of referring to the island any material with US components among other decisions trying to hinder trade with third countries.

The blockade, which according to Geneva Convention can be considered an act of genocide, has been in force for over half a century and is the main obstacle to Cuba’s economic and social development.

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