Cuban Ambassador Denounces US Blockade Pressure  

Cuba continues to face increasing pressure from the United States tonight. The island faces severe fuel shortages following U.S. moves to block oil supplies, including from Venezuela.  The U.S. intensified pressure on the Communist-run island, driving up food and transportation costs and causing long power outages. The UN has warned that Cuba could face a humanitarian crisis if energy needs are not met. Canada says it plans to send aid to Cuba, a move that follows similar support by Mexico. And as you heard on Monday night from former Foreign Affairs Minister, Assad Shoman, Belize should do the same. Tonight, we hear from the Cuban Ambassador to Belize Yahima Martinez Millán. The ambassador says that while the US pressure has intensified, it has not paralyzed the country.

 

Yahima Martinez Millán, Cuban Ambassador to Belize

“As the world is seeing, Cuba is facing right a very complex period caused by the intensification of the US blockade. However, the country is not paralyzed. We are implementing some measures in order to guarantee the continuity of the country and to maintain the basic services to our population. Also, during all this measures we are trying to protect the most vulnerable people in the country and also we are distributing our resources with a principle of equity. Cuba’s response remains the same during more than sixty years. Our response is independence, dignity and sovereignty. Washinton’s increase measures are an attempt to economy suffocation. Our response and our work is to denounce these unjust measures in all the international forum and all the public space and scenarios that we have the opportunity. Also Cuba does not negotiate under pressure and threats. The world knows that. Our diplomacy is one of peace and also cooperation. That is the way that we work.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“We hear from Cuba that the fuel shortages, the blackouts have affected hospital and public services in the country. What is the government doing to stabilize that.”

 

Yahima Martinez Millán

“That is true. We are being affected by the service but it is important to clarify that despite fuel limitation the Cuban priority is to maintain the service of health, and education and other important services. And energy saving protocol has been adopted in order to guarantee that this basic and important service could be maintain.”

 

Hipolito Novelo

“Some external observance characterize the current situation as political fragile Cuba. We spoke to Assad Shoman who has live in Cuba for many years. He is a former foreign minister for Belize. He is saying that if the US government succeeds, Cubans will die. Is that your assessment on this situation.”

 

Yahima Martinez Millán

“There is an international opinion that Cuba will collapse. There is no reason to think that. We are facing a very complex economic moment caused by the measures and the blockade from the US against Cuba and there is no fragility and there is no political reasons in that. So we are facing an external threat so it is not caused by internal causes.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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