In a public appearance on national television, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, spoke of the most recent statements of the U.S. government, presided over by Joe Biden.

Hours earlier, the Cuban Foreign Ministry’s twitter account announced that more than 400 former heads of state, politicians, intellectuals, scientists, clergymen, artists, musicians, leaders and activists from all over the world have signed an open letter asking Biden to immediately lift the sanctions against Cuba.

Now It Turns Out that Cuba Is a Priority for the U.S.

At a press conference earlier, Rodríguez Parrilla mentioned the most recent statements of Joe Biden’s administration according to which Cuba is now a priority for the United States, which reveals their clear intent on interference once again.

He mentioned as well the most recent sanctions announced against Cuba.

The Cuban Minister also denounced the U.S. government for the hundreds of cyber attacks that have been carried out against Cuba from U.S. territory with absolute impunity.

Manipulation of Information and Computer Attacks Persist

“The manipulation of information and images, which has been occurring up to this moment, is of grave concern to our people and our government,” Rodríguez Parrilla said.

The Spanish broadcast of CNN engages in systematic and mendacious manipulation, he said, which offends journalistic objectivity and disrespects the right of U.S. and world citizens to receive truthful information. The same is being done by Fox News.

The Minister also challenged those who lie and say that people are tortured and disappeared in Cuba to present proof.

Likewise, he said that the COVAX mechanism failed miserably in supplying the vaccines as agreed and paid for. The U.S. government knew perfectly well that this mechanism was not viable for Cuba, said the Foreign Minister, who alluded to the way in which the issue of Cuba and access to vaccines has been manipulated.

Rodríguez Parrilla further pointed out that the U.S. head of state is being erratic on the matter of remittances. First he announced that remittances would not be re-established, then that a mechanism had been created to analyze the issue, and now that it is a delicate matter.

The Cuban Foreign Minister questioned these statements, pointing out that the U.S. is a state from which many remittances are sent to Latin American countries.

Rodríguez Parrilla reminded Biden that it was not the revolutionary government of Cuba that limited and suspended remittances, but the U.S. government which has added AIS (Cuban remittance company) to the restricted lists.

The U.S. government is shamelessly lying when it says that the Cuban government appropriates part of the remittances. Remittances are not taxed. There are no taxes. There are no tariffs. It is not the Cuban government that sets a service fee, it is the Western Union company, he added.

“I call on U.S. government spokespersons to present evidence of the accusations about remittances and appropriation by the Cuban government,” he said.

Evidence of U.S. Blackmail Against Other Countries

The State Department is currently engaged in an all-out effort to exert political, economic and other kinds of pressure against a group of countries, trying to blackmail them into making shameless and lying statements.

“We have evidence of pressures being exerted by the U.S. government against six countries in Western Europe and at least eight in Latin America,” said Rodríguez Parrilla. “They have tried to co-opt them into their campaign against Cuba with blackmail, slander and lies.”

In view of its failure to generate instability and shake Cuban institutions, the U.S. government is trying to divert attention.

If what the U.S. government is looking for is a pretext to re-establish consular services in Havana, it will hardly receive forgiveness from the right wing in Miami.

The Cuban Minister said that he was aware of the plans to send a flotilla to the sea near Cuba. He warned the U.S. government to consider the seriousness of its act in order to avoid incidents that are not in the interest of anyone.

“I reiterate that the U.S. Government persists in a barrage of statements issued today, which are a clear demonstration of its interference in Cuba,” said Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

(Granma, July 22, 2021. Translated from original Spanish by TML.)