BY LAURA GARZA
UNITED NATIONS - For the fourth year in a row, the Cuban government used the platform of the United Nations to blast Washington's economic war and called for an end to the U.S. embargo of the island.
It presented a resolution titled "The Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba." The resolution passed 117 to 3 on November 2, with 38 abstentions. Only the representatives of Israel and Uzbekistan joined Washington in voting no.
"The Cuban population, especially our children, pregnant women, senior citizens and the ill, are the daily victims of the continuation and strengthening of the blockade against Cuba," said Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations. He noted the total damage to the Cuban economy for 1994 was estimated at one billion dollars.
Rodríguez cited the Torricelli Act of 1992 as one measure that furthered the difficulties Cuba encounters. That law bans ships docking in Cuban ports from entering U.S. ports for 180 days. Companies operating such vessels charge higher rates to Cuba.
The three previous resolutions called on member states to refrain from applying unilateral measures limiting free trade and navigation. Despite this, the new resolution stated, UN member states should be concerned that "new measures of this type continue being promulgated and applied, leading to reinforcing and broadening the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba, and [we are] concerned also by their negative effects on the Cuban population and Cuban nationals resident in other countries."
K.Z. Mbatha, representing South Africa, said his country was indebted to the people of Cuba for the selfless contribution they made to the anti-colonial and anti- apartheid struggle in southern Africa. He stated that his government rejected "the notion that the people of Cuba should be starved into ideological submission."
Votes in favor of previous similar resolutions were 59 to 3 with 71 abstentions in 1992, 88 to 4 with 57 abstentions in 1993, and 101 to 2 with 48 abstentions last year.
The wider margin in favor of the resolution this year largely reflected opposition to the continuing attempts by Washington to impose its will on the trade relations with other countries.
The Helms/Burton bill further tightening the embargo recently passed both Houses of the U.S. Congress, though it is not yet law. It was specifically condemned by representatives of several nations.
Spain's UN ambassador Juan Yanez Barnuevo, speaking on behalf of the European Union, stated, "The European Union cannot accept that the United States unilaterally determines or restricts the European Union's economic and commercial relations with any other State."
The resolution ends by calling for a point to be placed on the agenda of the General Assembly this year on the need to end the U.S. embargo against Cuba.