Several of Washington's imperialist allies, who are also competitors, including a representative of the European Union, took the occasion to complain of the "extraterritorial" application of the U.S. embargo in explaining their votes for the resolution. Moves by the U.S. rulers to tighten the embargo over the last few years — particularly the so-called Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, often called the Helms-Burton law — have included penalties for companies based outside the United States that do business in Cuba.

While opposing Washington's attempt to dictate where they do business, the capitalist rulers in Europe, Canada, and the other imperialist countries share the U.S. govern-ment's undying hostility to workers and farmers holding power in Cuba. An Australian delegate, for example, declared that there's "no democracy in Cuba," but the embargo isn't the way to change the system there.

U.S. representative Peter Burleigh, during a brief intervention at the assembly, attempted to paint the embargo as a "bilateral issue" that makes no attempt to impose other nations' trade options. He stated that the sanctions were intended to pressure Havana to respect "human rights" and implement "democracy" on the island.

Ricardo Alarcón, president of Cuba's National Assembly, took the floor and responded by pointing out that Washington "backed to the very end" the repressive dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. "Cubans," said Alarcón, "have had to suffer, survive, and develop in absolutely unjust and unjustifiable conditions imposed in a cold, calculated way" by U.S. rulers with the embargo since the 1959 revolution swept aside Batista and brought a government of workers and farmers to power.

Shortly before the General Assembly voted on the anti-embargo resolution, Alarcón announced a $100-billion lawsuit against Washington "on account of the enormous damages caused to the people of Cuba by the blockade."  
 
 
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