October 13, 2018
Photo: Bill Hackwell
The U.S. Department of State issued a press release on 12 October, informing of the Government’s intention to use the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber of the United Nations to hold an event aimed at launching a Campaign called “Jailed for What?” against Cuba on Tuesday, 16 October 2018.
This action at the ECOSOC Chamber, a Major Organ of the Organization, seeks to tarnish the name of the United Nations in an act against a Member State, in contravention of the purposes and principles of the Charter.
The very nature of the press release distributed by the Department of State clearly shows the objectives pursued with this event, by announcing the start of an insulting and fallacious campaign against Cuba.
The event constitutes a political farce of the worst taste, staged on false arguments and with supporting actors, some of Cuban origin, who with a dark history at the service of a foreign power, join the escalation of anti-Cuban actions by the current U.S. Administration, engaged in justifying the genocidal policy of economic, commercial and financial blockade against the island. This policy constitutes the main obstacle to Cuba’s development and a flagrant violation of the human rights of its people. It would be therefore worthwhile for the United States Government to transform its ignominy campaign into sincere forgiveness and reparation to the Cuban people for the damages caused by the 56 years of the application of the blockade.
In view of these events, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, H.E. Mrs. Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, has sent a letter of protest dated 13 October to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, H.E. Mr. António Guterres, and to other senior officials of the Secretariat. In the said letter, she recalls that the rules concerning the use of conference rooms clearly set out the holding of events that are solely in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations and further justified by their relevance to the work of the Organization.
The Ambassador’s letter states that the aforementioned event flagrantly violates the above rules and the Charter of the United Nations, and therefore has Cuba’s total rejection. Consequently, it “calls for the cancellation of the event planned by the United States within the perimeter of the United Nations premises and for an internal investigation to be conducted in order to determine accountability for the said violations”.
Cuba prides itself on its human rights record, which denies any manipulation against it. The United States lack the morals to give lessons, and much less in this matter. That country, with poor adherence to international human rights instruments, has a pattern of systematic violations of all human rights, including the use of torture, detention and arbitrary deprivation of liberty, as is the case of the Guantánamo Naval Base, an illegally occupied Cuban territory; the murder of African-Americans by police officers; the death of innocent civilians by their intervention and occupation forces; xenophobia and repression and the imprisonment of immigrants, including children separated from their families.
Cuba condemns and rejects in the strongest possible terms this new anti-Cuban action by the United States Government and hopes that the Secretariat will enforce the established rules, will act in accordance with the UN Charter and consequently, will cancel the holding of this event in the premises of the Organization.
Source: Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations