Worldwide Actions in Support of Vote at UN General Assembly Against U.S. Blockade -- Join In!

As it has done every year since 1992, Cuba will present its Updated Report on UNGA Resolution 75/289 on the necessity of ending the U.S. embargo against Cuba, often referred to as the U.S. blockade and known for its brutality. The U.S. openly talks about using the blockade to starve and impose harm on the Cuban people to achieve their aim of regime change -- and have failed miserably. The Cuban people stand with their revolution as do the world's people.

Since 1992, the support of countries at the UNGA for the resolution has only increased, systematically isolating these two moribund countries that have always opposed the resolution.[1]

On Thursday, September 12, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, presented to the national and foreign press the update of the national report on the effects of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against our country, corresponding to the period March 2023–February 2024.

The cost of the blockade is evident in the shortages of all kinds that Cubans face, including food, medicine, fuel, means of transportation, as well as in the deterioration of other basic services.

Here are some comparative data published in the newspaper Granma on September 13 of what the blockade means:[2]

- 25 days of blockade equals the financing required to cover the needs of the country's Basic Drug List for one year (approximately U.S.$339 million).

- nine days equals the amount required to import medical consumables (cotton, gauze, syringes, needles, sutures, catheters, equipment for serum, among other supplies) and reagents necessary for the national health system for one year (U.S.$129 million).

- 21 hours of embargo is equal to the cost of acquiring the insulin needed to cover the country's demand for one year (U.S.$12 million).

- 18 days is equal to the annual cost of maintenance (excluding fuel and investments) of the National Electric Power System (U.S.$250 million).

- four months correspond to the amount to guarantee, for one year, the delivery of the standardized family basket of products to the population (U.S.$1.6 billion).

- 38 hours are equivalent to the cost of producing/acquiring the study material base needed to cover the needs of the country's education system for one year ($21.789 million).

- If the blockade were to cease for eight hours, Cuba would be able to acquire the toys and teaching aids for all the kindergartens in the country (U.S.$4.5 million).

- Half an hour is equivalent to the cost of the electric and conventional wheelchairs required to meet the needs of the country's special education system (U.S.$256,363).

- 44 hours are equivalent to the funding needed to guarantee computers in the country's educational centres (U.S.$25.2 million).

- 15 minutes corresponds to the funding needed to cover the demand for hearing aids for children and adolescents with disabilities in special education in the country (U.S.$144,000).

- Three days are synonymous with the cost of annual maintenance of public transportation in the country (U.S.$40 million).

- Nine months is equivalent to the estimated financing needed to cover the country's new housing construction needs (U.S.$3.893 million).

International actions are being organized before, during and after the UNGA vote to condemn the criminal U.S. blockade against Cuba, demand its end and to remove Cuba from the list of so-called "State Sponsors of Terrorism." Join In!

Notes

1. "United States embargo against Cuba," Wikipedia

2. "In figures, the siege against Cuba," Granma, September 13, 2024