The France-Cuba solidarity association against US blockade on Cuba
The France-Cuba solidarity association sent a letter to the head of European diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, to denounce the United States’ intention to modify the application of the Helms Burton Act and tighten the blockade against the Island.
In the letter, the organization deplored ‘what constitutes, in defamatory and disrespectful language, a hostile act of extreme arrogance and irresponsibility’.
This is how she referred to the State Department’s announcement on January 16 to suspend for only 45 days, instead of the usual six months, the application of Title 3 of that law.
This would imply, the text added, that any U.S. citizen of Cuban origin could file lawsuits before U.S. courts to claim the restitution of property prior to 1959, even without having to justify the title to the property.
In addition to being inhumane, this would be an unforgivable attack on justice, unworthy of a great nation,’ the letter said.
The association pointed out that ‘as citizens of the European Union, we denounce that this hardening of a law conceived to codify and aggravate the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba in 1962 is, due to its extraterritoriality, contrary to the provisions of International Law and the practice of international relations’.
In this sense, she argued that the application of Title 3 of the Helms Burton Act would seriously harm the interests of European individuals and entities that have established legitimate businesses in the Caribbean nation.
The letter denounced ‘the will of the first world power to impose an iniquitous, ferocious and obsolete blockade (…) on a small country of 11 million inhabitants with the objective of despairing its people and bending them to the will of their great neighbor’.
He also recalled that this siege has been condemned for years by the almost unanimity of the member countries of the United Nations, by specialized international organizations and by regional organizations such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the African Union.
In light of recent events, the letter urged Mogherini to ‘transmit to the government of the United States our strong condemnation of the blockade against Cuba and any attempt to harm the Cuban people’.
After reminding the European diplomat of her message to Cubans that ‘they will not be left alone in front of those who build walls and close doors’, the association called on her to act.
Today, more than ever, Cubans need our solidarity. For this reason, we hope that she can intervene with the government of the United States so that the threat of a reinforcement of the blockade remains a dead letter,’ she added.
(Taken from PL in Spanish)
Written by Radio Grito de Baire
