Cuba accuses US of pressuring states ahead of UN vote on ending embargo
In short
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a Havana press conference on 21 October that the US government is pressuring other countries to change their votes on a UN General Assembly resolution against the US blockade of Cuba. He named tariff threats, visa denials and other measures, and said Secretary of State Rubio personally applied pressure in many cases. Chinese outlets differ slightly on whether the Assembly vote falls on 28 October or within a 27-28 October session.
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Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez (布鲁诺·罗德里格斯) accused the US government on 21 October of pressuring other countries to influence their votes on a UN General Assembly resolution concerning the US blockade of Cuba. He spoke at a press conference in Havana, according to reports by Yicai, CLS, Jiemian and Xinhua. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Yicai, CLS and Jiemian, all citing CCTV News, reported that Rodriguez said the US State Department used threats of extra tariffs, refusal of visas to officials of the countries concerned and their families, and sanctions to force those countries to change their support for Cuba. He said Secretary of State Rubio applied pressure personally in many cases, and he held up documents at the event that he said prove the pressure. He also criticised the continued tightening of the US energy blockade of Cuba. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Xinhua gave a somewhat different list of measures: threats of higher tariffs, suspension of cooperation projects and refusal of visas to government officials and their families. It quoted Rodriguez as describing a campaign of political pressure, intimidation, coercion and blackmail. According to Xinhua, he said circulating documents show the US sent explicitly threatening messages to governments and their UN delegations, and tried to recruit some countries to lead others in changing their historic position of supporting an end to the blockade. He also said the US suggested that countries unable to vote against should abstain or be absent. [ 4 ]
Xinhua said Rodriguez called this method of multilateral diplomacy new and dangerous and said it shows the US is in the wrong and can only resort to force. He said the international community already recognises the criminal nature of the blockade and the damage the energy blockade does to the Cuban people and economy. He said he believes the great majority of countries will again vote in the Assembly to end the blockade. [ 4 ]
The documents differ on timing. Xinhua said the Assembly will vote on the draft on 28 October. Jiemian said the Assembly will consider the draft, which calls on the US to end its economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba, on 27-28 October. [ 3 , 4 ]
Xinhua added that the US adopted a hostile policy toward Cuba after the 1959 revolution, and that in 1962 the US president at the time, Kennedy, imposed an economic and financial blockade and trade embargo, mainly under the Trading with the Enemy Act. It said the Assembly has considered a Cuban draft resolution calling for the blockade to be lifted every year since 1992, with overwhelming support over the years. None of the documents contains a US response to Rodriguez's accusations. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The documents show the dispute is playing out before the General Assembly takes up the resolution, which Xinhua says has received overwhelming support for many years. The claims are Cuba's and the documents carry no US response.
Key facts
- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held a press conference in Havana on 21 October and accused the US government of pressuring other countries over the UN General Assembly vote on the resolution concerning the US blockade of Cuba. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Rodriguez said the US State Department used threats of extra tariffs, refusal of visas to officials and their families, and sanctions to push countries to change their support for Cuba. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rodriguez said Secretary of State Rubio applied pressure personally in many cases. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rodriguez held up documents at the press conference that he said prove the US pressure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rodriguez also criticised what he called the continued tightening of the US energy blockade of Cuba. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Xinhua quoted Rodriguez as saying the US suggested that countries unable to vote against the resolution should abstain or stay away from the vote. [ 4 ]
- Jiemian said the General Assembly will consider the draft on 27-28 October; Xinhua said the vote will be held on 28 October. [ 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Rodriguez accused the US government at a Havana press conference on 21 October of pressuring other countries to influence their votes on the UN General Assembly resolution on the blockade of Cuba. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Rodriguez said Secretary of State Rubio personally applied pressure in many cases. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the US pressure described by Rodriguez took place as he said. The documents only report Rodriguez's accusations and the documents he showed; none carries a US response or independent verification.
- The exact date of the General Assembly vote. Jiemian says the draft will be considered on 27-28 October, while Xinhua says the vote will be on 28 October.
- Which pressure measures were named. The CCTV-based reports list tariff threats, visa denials and sanctions; Xinhua lists tariff threats, suspension of cooperation projects and visa denials.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yicai published the report on Rodriguez's press conference, citing CCTV News. [ 1 ]
- CLS published the same report, citing CCTV News. [ 2 ]
- Jiemian published its version, adding that the General Assembly will consider the draft on 27-28 October. [ 3 ]
- Xinhua published its report from Havana, saying the vote is on 28 October. [ 4 ]