Solidarity with Cuba in New York

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 28 (ACN) Cuba received expressions of solidarity in New York City, where a delegation from the island is participating in the High-Level Segment of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.

At a theater in the heart of Manhattan, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and his delegation were greeted with applause and chants of "Cuba Yes, Blockade No!", reported Prensa Latina.

From the stage, Mr. Parrilla thanked the American people for their solidarity with Cuba and shared with the audience a few of the views he presented to the UNGA on Saturday.

He reiterated support for the just cause of the Palestinian people, called for an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza, and repeated three times "Free Palestine!"

He also referred to the effects of both the 60-plus year-old blockade of Cuba and the illegal, arbitrary, and unjust inclusion of the island on the list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism.

Likewise, the Foreign Minister mentioned the "fierce smear campaign to discredit" Cuban medical cooperation, which he described as "an immense expression of solidarity."

"This is a campaign based on lies, slander, and defamation, characterized by political pressure, intimidation, and coercion against the recipient countries," he asserted. “Cuban cooperation is absolutely legitimate and fully consistent with the relief missions carried out by the UN.

“Can anyone believe that we will back down under pressure and abandon our international commitments?"

"Anyone who knows Cuba understands that we do not allow ourselves to be intimidated," he stated. “Cuba will maintain its commitments with every country with which we have bilateral agreements for medical cooperation. (…) We are prepared to face all threats and slander without wavering in our duty of solidarity."

Currently, 24,000 Cuban medical professionals are providing services in 56 countries.

On his end, Manolo de los Santos, executive director of The People’s Forum (the event's coordinating organization), told the audience, "I ask you to leave here with a renewed commitment that we will fight the blockade here, in the heart of the empire, where we will expose the lies of (Donald) Trump and (Marco) Rubio."

The activist pointed out that the said policy aims to cause maximum pain and suffering to the Cuban people and described as very cynical that the island appears on a list that should never have existed and to which Cuba has never belonged, that of alleged state sponsors of terrorism.

“The United States ironically calls this entire scheme a policy, but we know what it is. The Cuban people know what it is. It is an economic war to destroy them," he underscored. “What is this if not a calculated act of cruelty and collective punishment?"

During this week's High-Level Segment of the UN, the demand for the lifting of the blockade against Cuba and the removal of the Caribbean nation from Washington's unilateral list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism was raised more than thirty times from the podium of the General Assembly.