Cuba has called for the United Nations to stop the United States from starting a war in the region, amid rising tensions due to a military build-up in the Caribbean to counter drug cartels.
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez made the announcement on Wednesday (17 September).
“I call on the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council to fulfill their obligations and to exercise their prerogatives under the mandate of the Charter to preserve peace in our region,” Rodriguez told a press conference in Havana to launch its annual campaign for a United Nations resolution condemning the trade embargo.
The foreign minister said fighting drug trafficking in the name of U.S. national security was a “crude and ridiculous pretext” for aggression.
“The United States is today the main financial centre and the primary centre for money laundering of foreign assets that originate from transnational organised crime, fundamentally drug trafficking,” he charged.
Tensions have been mounting between Washington and Venezuela, Cuba’s most important political and economic ally, after U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean on three boats out of Venezuela that it claimed were carrying drugs.
“The interception and destruction of boats, the extrajudicial killing of civilians, the interception of fishing vessels ... create a dangerous situation that threatens peace and security,” Rodriguez said.
For the last 32 years the United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution calling on the United States to lift its comprehensive sanctions regime on Cuba.
Rodriguez said “what is new this year is an international context characterised by increasing unilateralism ... and the strengthening of the U.S. aggressive policy against Cuba and against virtually every country on the planet.”
President Donald Trump has doubled down on sanctions, returning Cuba to a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, tightening financial and travel restrictions and sanctioning third country nationals who host Cuban doctors.
Rodriguez blamed sanctions for the gruelling crisis the country is mired in, the worst economic downturn in decades characterised by shortages of basic goods, collapsing infrastructure and runaway inflation.
The Trump administration blames Cuba’s Communist system.
Australian activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza have claimed they were subject to ...
A Washington and Tehran peace agreement is yet to materialise after U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal between the countries was yet to be fully...
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturd...
Azerbaijan has made a notable appearance at one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events, with a large delegation participating in the CHIO...
More than 900 suspected cases of Ebola have been identified, including 101 confirmed cases, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros A...
Australian activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza have claimed they were subject to abuse and beatings, which left some hospitalised. Israel’s prison service denies the allegations.
A Washington and Tehran peace agreement is yet to materialise after U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal between the countries was yet to be fully negotiated, despite earlier saying the pact was 'largely negotiated.'
Azerbaijan has made a notable appearance at one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events, with a large delegation participating in the CHIO Aachen tournament in Germany, according to the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation.
More than 900 suspected cases of Ebola have been identified, including 101 confirmed cases, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday.
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 23rd May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
China has revised the number of dead following a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China, from 90 to 82, in what is the country's deadliest mining accident in 17 years.
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in central Belgrade on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered to demand early elections and an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić.
Australian activists released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza have claimed they were subject to abuse and beatings, which left some hospitalised. Israel’s prison service denies the allegations.
Azerbaijan has made a notable appearance at one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events, with a large delegation participating in the CHIO Aachen tournament in Germany, according to the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation.
More than 900 suspected cases of Ebola have been identified, including 101 confirmed cases, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday.
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
More than 20 people are trapped under the rubble of a building under construction in the Philippines that collapsed on Sunday, officials said, as rescue efforts continue.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment