Cuban Ambassador: The embargo has actually intensified

Cuban AmbassadorCuban Ambassador to Guyana Julio Gonzales Marchante said there is no indication that the US will end the trade embargo on Cuba.

In fact, the Ambassador the embargo has actually intensified.

The Ambassador said the embargo has affected practically every aspect of life in Cuba over the past 50 years, and even though a number of countries, institutions and influential persons have spoken out against it, the US remains unmoved.

In July, the US Government had clamped down on a number of banks that were facilitating transactions with Cuba.

USAToday had reported that six banks were being investigated in Germany, France, Italy or Japan for “processing transactions linked to countries that the US has designated as rogue nations”.

Ambassador Marchante said US President Barrack Obama had made attempts to get talks started on the issue as the US citizenry are generally against the 50 year trade blockage.

However, regarding President Obama’s attempts on the embargo, Mercopress has reported that he may not have much control over the removal of the ban as it was a decision that had been made by the US Congress in 1996 through the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act.

According to this Act, sanctions levied against Cuba and the embargo cannot be removed unless Cuba is to renege on socialist policies to a more democratic perspective as well as deal with the human rights issues affecting the State.

There have been many concerns regarding human rights, lack of political expressions and freedom of rights in Cuba.

Robert Menendez, a Democrat and Senior Senator of New Jersey, had written the New York Times about their being a total of 7500 political arrests documented this year alone.

Meanwhile, some have called the embargo justified, yet there has been many cries of human rights contravention in the Middle East, Africa but these countries have not been banned from trading with the USA. This, of course begs the question what exactly is the obstacle.

“It’s a war that have no sense and (very much) unjustified,” Ambassador Marchante stated, contending that “we’re not in war, we are offering cooperation.”

Cuba has been a longstanding ally of Guyana and has in a tangible way contributed to the growth of the local health sector through the training of Guyanese to become doctors in Cuba. Cuban doctors have also been assigned to work here.

Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran had also joined with Ambassador Marchante in calling for the removal of the trade blockade on Cuba.