Any strategy directed toward changing Cuba's
constitutional order is condemned to failure
Revolutionary Government statement released June 16, in response
to new Presidential Directive on U.S. policy toward Cuba, denounces
Donald Trump's intention to halt progress in normalization of
relations
Author:
Granma |
internet@granma.cu
June 16, 2017, the President of the United States, Donald Trump,
in a speech replete with hostile rhetoric which recalled the era of
open confrontation with our country, announced in a Miami theater his
administration's policy toward Cuba which reverses advances made
these last two years, after December 17, 2014, when Presidents Raúl
Castro Ruz and Barack Obama made public the decision to reestablish
diplomatic relations and initiate a process toward normalization of
bilateral ties.
In what constitutes a setback in relations between the two
countries, Trump delivered a speech and during the same event signed
a policy directive entitled, " National Security Presidential
Memorandum on Strengthening U.S. Policy toward Cuba," mandating
the elimination of educational "people-to-people" exchanges
undertaken by individuals, and greater control of U.S. travelers to
Cuba, as well as the prohibition of economic, commercial, or
financial transactions on the part of U.S. companies with Cuban
enterprises linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces, intelligence or
security services - all of this with the intentional objective of
denying us income. The U.S. President justified this policy with
alleged concerns about the human rights situation in Cuba and the
need to rigorously enforce blockade laws, conditioning its lifting,
as well as any improvement in bilateral relations, on our country
making changes elemental to our constitutional order.
Trump likewise vacated the Presidential Policy Directive,
"Normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba,"
issued by President Obama on October 14, 2016, which, although it did
not attempt to hide the interventionist character of U.S. policy or
the objective of advancing its interest in changes in our country's
economic, political and social order, the directive recognized Cuba's
independence, sovereignty, and self-determination, and the Cuban
government as a legitimate, equal interlocutor, as well as the
benefits that both countries and people could gain in a relationship
of civilized coexistence, within the context of the great differences
which exist between our two governments. It also recognized that the
blockade was an obsolete policy that should be eliminated.
Once again, the U.S. government resorts to the coercive methods of
the past, adopting measures to tighten the blockade, in effect since
February of 1962, which not only causes harm and depravation to the
Cuban people and constitutes an undeniable obstacle to our economy's
development, but also impacts the sovereignty and interests of other
countries, generating international condemnation.
The measures announced create additional obstacles to already
restricted opportunities available to U.S. businesses to trade with
and invest in Cuba.
At the same time, they further restrict the rights of U.S.
citizens to visit our country, already limited given the obligation
to employ discriminatory licenses, at a time when the U.S. Congress -
as a reflection of the opinion of broad sectors of this society -
demands not only an end to the travel ban, but also that restrictions
on commerce with Cuba be eliminated.
President Trump's announcements contradict the majority support of
the U.S. public, including the Cuban émigré community in that
country, for the lifting of the blockade and normal relations between
Cuba and the United States.
For his part, the U.S. President, once again poorly advised, makes
decisions that favor political interests of an extremist minority of
Cuban origin in the state of Florida, which for small-minded reasons
do not desist in their pretensions to punish Cuba and its people, for
exercising the legitimate, sovereign right to be free and take
control of their own destiny.
At a later time, we will more thoroughly analyze the scope and
implications of this announcement.
The government of Cuba denounces the new measures to tighten the
blockade, which are destined to failure, as has been repeatedly
demonstrated in the past, and which will not achieve their purpose of
weakening the Revolution, or breaking the Cuban people, whose
resistance to aggression of any kind or origin has been proven over
almost six decades.
The government of Cuba rejects the manipulation of the issue of
human rights for political purposes, and double standards in
addressing it. The Cuban people enjoy fundamental rights and
freedoms, and have achieved accomplishments of which they are proud,
and which are only a dream for many of the world's countries,
including the United States itself, such as the right to health,
education, social security, equal pay for equal work, the rights of
children, the right to food, peace and development. With its modest
resources, Cuba has contributed, as well, to the expansion of human
rights in many places around the world, despite the limitations
imposed given its condition as a blockaded country.
The United States is in no position to teach us a lesson. We have
serious concerns about respect for and protection of human rights in
this country, where there have been numerous cases of police murder,
brutality, and abuse, in particular against the African-American
population; the right to life is violated as a result of deaths
caused by firearms; child labor is exploited; and serious
manifestations of racial discrimination exist; threats are being made
to impose more restrictions on health care services, which would
leave 23 million persons without coverage; women do not receive equal
pay for equal work; emigrants and refugees are marginalized, in
particular those from Islamic countries; the building of walls that
belittle neighbors is proposed; and international commitments to
protect the environment and confront climate change are abandoned.
Likewise, also of concern are violations of human rights committed
by the United States in other countries, such as the arbitrary
detentions of dozens of prisoners in territory illegally occupied by
the Guantánamo Naval Base in Cuba, where torture has taken place;
the extrajudicial executions and deaths of civilians caused by bombs
and the use of drones; and wars unleashed against different countries
like Iraq, justified with lies about the possession of weapons of
mass destruction, with disastrous consequences for the security and
stability of the Middle East region.
We recall that Cuba is a state party to 44 human rights
international covenants, while the United States is so to only 18.
Thus we have much to show, to say, and defend.
Upon confirming the decision to reestablish diplomatic relations,
Cuba and the United States affirmed the intention to develop
respectful, cooperative ties between the two people and governments,
based on the principles and purposes enshrined in the United Nations
Charter.
In the declaration issued July 1, 2015, the revolutionary
government of Cuba reaffirmed, "These relations must be founded
on absolute respect for our independence and sovereignty; the
inalienable right of every state to choose its own political,
economic, social, and cultural system, without interference of any
kind; and on equality and reciprocity, which constitute irrevocable
principles of international law,” as stated in the Proclamation of
Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed by heads
of state and government of the Community of Latin American and
Caribbean States (CELAC), during its 2nd Summit, in Havana. Cuba has
not renounced these principles, and never will.
The government of Cuba reiterates its willingness to continue the
respectful dialogue and cooperation in areas of mutual interest, as
well as the negotiation of pending bilateral issues with the
government of the United States. Over the last two years, it has been
demonstrated that, as President of the Councils of State and
Ministers, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, has repeatedly stated, the
two countries can cooperate and coexist in a civilized manner,
respecting differences and promoting all that benefits both nations
and peoples, but it cannot be expected that, in order to do so, Cuba
will make concessions which compromise our independence or
sovereignty, nor accept conditions of any type.
Any strategy directed toward changing the political, economic and
social system in Cuba, be it one that seeks to do so through pressure
and dictates, or with the use of more subtle methods, is condemned to
failure.
The changes which may be needed in Cuba, like those made since
1959 and those we are undertaking now as part of the updating of our
socio-economic model, will continue to be decided independently by
the Cuban people.
As we have since the triumph of the Revolution, January 1, 1959,
we will assume any risk, and continue firm and sure in the
construction of a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic,
prosperous and sustainable nation.
Havana, June 16, 2017.
