10/26/2010

“The General Assembly, determined to encourage strict compliance with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations…recalling the statements of the Heads of state or Government at the Ibero-American Summits concerning the need to eliminate the unilateral application of economic and trade measures by one State against another that affect the free flow of international trade…taking note of declarations resolutions of different intergovernmental forums, bodies and Governments that express the rejection by the international community and public opinion of the promulgation and application of measures of the kind referred to above…once again urges States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible in accordance with their legal regime…requests the Secretary-General…to prepare a report on the implementation of the present resolution in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter and international law and to submit it to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session…” [Con Embargo]

“Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” United Nations General Assembly, UN.org, October 26, 2010

12/15/2010

“Vice Foreign Minister [of the Republic of Cuba] Abelardo Moreno said that at current prices a conservative estimate of economic damages to the island up until December 2010 would be more than $104 billion. However, he added, if you take into consideration the extreme devaluation of the dollar against the price of gold on the international financial market during 2010, they would add up to nearly a trillion dollars.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]

Portia Siegelbaum, “Cuba: U.S. embargo causes $1 trillion in losses,” CBSNews.com, September 14, 2011

1/14/2011

“[President] Barack Obama has eased America’s long-standing embargo on Cuba, allowing many Americans to travel there for the first time and increasing the amounts that they can invest in the island. Other changes announced by the president will allow all US international airports to accept flights to and from Cuba; at present, chartered flights are restricted to Miami and a handful of other airports. The moves represent an important step to rapprochement between the US and Cuba…Obama’s move is made by presidential order and cannot be blocked by Congress. But only Congress can lift the embargo…Most Americans are in effect banned from Cuba because it is an offence to spend money on the island. Under the changes, students and academic staff, religious groups and others will be free to visit, and educational exchanges are to be promoted. Americans will be allowed to send up to $500 to support private economic and other activities, though not any involving the Cuban Communist party or its members.” [Con Embargo]

Ewen MacAskill, “Barack Obama acts to ease US embargo on Cuba,” TheGuardian.com, January 14, 2011

1/15/2011

“He [Vice Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba Abelardo Moreno] also noted the embargo interfered with Cuba’s cooperation with international agencies giving the example of how in January 2011, the U.S. Government seized over $4.2 million of funding from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria because they were earmarked for the implementation of cooperation projects with Cuba.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.] [Con Embargo]

Portia Siegelbaum, “Cuba: U.S. embargo causes $1 trillion in losses,” CBSNews.com, September 14, 2011

2/15/2011

“[New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson speaks] ‘Now, my thesis has been that the big issues, the embargo, which largely is controlled by the Congress, the Cuban 5, Guantanamo, the issues that really divide us, I believe should be put aside and dealt with after a series of humanitarian and other measures are dealt with…Therefore, what I would propose happen is that the migration talks that have gone well be expanded to include humanitarian issues…My view is that U.S. and Cuba need each to take steps and not wait for others to act…Now, what needs to happen?  I believe that the Cubans need to free Alan Gross… Nonetheless, there’s a legal process going on, but for humanitarian reasons, I believe this man should be released.  That should be the next step… I believe the U.S. government should lift the terrorist label on Cuba.  This is not the case, that Cuba is a terrorist nation.  I think it makes sense that this happened not just for symbolic reasons, but it also complicates many telecommunications transactions that take place…I believe the recommendation is for there to be a joint cooperative effort to deal with contamination of potential oil spills in our surrounding seas.  This is something that with Bermuda and Cuba together and the United States, find ways to do some joint planning to protect this fragile marine environment and prevent a potential oil spill…Other steps that might be taken by the U.S., smaller steps, put an agricultural extension agent at the Cuban intersection in Havana — in the American section in Havana.  These are steps since agriculture is the primary contact, commercial, that the United States and Cuba have, that those steps should take place.’” [Con Embargo]

“U.S. – Cuba Relations: Moving Policy Forward in 2011 and Beyond,” The Brookings Institution, February 15, 2011

9/13/2011

“Yesterday [September 13, 2011] President [Barack] Obama authorized the continuation of the embargo for another year under the Trading with the Enemy Act, stating that it is in ‘the nation interest of the United States’ to do so.'” [Pro Embargo]

Portia Siegelbaum, “Cuba: U.S. embargo causes $1 trillion in losses,” CBSNews.com, September 14, 2011

10/25/2011

“Drawing parallels to recent political uprisings in defence of freedom and self-determination, General Assembly delegates today again denounced the decades-old economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, voting overwhelmingly to adopt the world body’s twentieth consecutive resolution calling for an end to the measures. The resolution – adopted by a recorded vote of 186 in favour to 2 against (United States, Israel), with 3 abstentions (Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau) — reaffirmed the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention in their internal affairs and freedom of trade and navigation as paramount to the conduct of international affairs.” [Con Embargo]

“Speakers denounce Cuban embargo as ‘sad echo’ of failed cold war politics; General Assembly, for twentieth year, demands lifting of economic blockade,” United Nations General Assembly, UN.org, October 25, 2011

10/26/2011

“US representative Ronald Godard said that for yet another year, the Assembly is taking up a resolution designed to confuse and obscure. ‘But let there be no confusion about this: the US, like most Member States, reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting the right and the heartfelt desire of the Cuban people to freely determine their future. And let there be no obscuring that the Cuban regime has deprived them of this right for more than half a century,’ he said. Godard added that the economic relationship between the US and Cuba is a bilateral issue and is not appropriately a concern of the Assembly.”

“India calls for end to US embargo against Cuba,” The Deccan Herald, October 26, 2011

12/1/2011

“Conference calling for Cuba’s removal from the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism. Thursday December 1 [2011]… in Washington, D.C: One of the most cynical aspects of the U.S. policy toward Cuba is to keep it on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, for there is no evidence that would place it there. One need only read this year’s State Department report on the subject (a copy of which is available to conference attendees) to draw that conclusion. The report in fact begins by saying that ‘the Government of Cuba maintained a public stance against terrorism and terrorist financing in 2010.’ And it provides no evidence that the government violated that stance. Not only does the United States lack evidence to keep Cuba on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, but maintaining Cuba’s position on the list is counterproductive to U.S. goals and interests…-The Latin America Working Group and the Center for International Policy.” [Con Embargo]

“Conference to remove Cuba from state sponsor of terrorism list,” Havana Journal, November 21, 2011

12/17/2014

In a Dec. 17, 2014, “Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes, President Barack Obama said: “Today, the United States of America is changing its relationship with the people of Cuba. In the most significant changes in our policy in more than fifty years, we will end an outdated approach that, for decades, has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries. Through these changes, we intend to create more opportunities for the American and Cuban people, and begin a new chapter among the nations of the Americas.” [Con Embargo]

“Statement by the President on Cuba Policy Changes,” ObamaWhiteHouse.archives.gov, Dec. 17, 2014