UN Rapporteur Observes Impact of US Blockade on Cuba

Havana, Nov 18 (ACN) — Alena Douhan, UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures, continues her intensive working agenda in Cuba since her arrival here on November 11.

According Cuban Foreign Ministry’s website, in meetings with authorities, academics, and specialists from various sectors, Douhan observed the harmful effects of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, which has been tightened in recent years through new measures that have worsened difficulties for the Cuban people’s everyday life.

During an exchange with deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, the Rapporteur was briefed about the direct impact on Cuban families by the extraterritorial nature of the US sanctions, which are considered violations of international law and of the norms governing diplomatic relations.

The Rapporteur also met with Education Minister Naima Trujillo, who presented a report on the impact of the blockade on her sector. Shortages of school resources, technological limitations, and restricted access to digital platforms, with an estimated annual impact of 43 million dollars are part of the damage inflicted by the US blockade.

During meetings with academics from the University of Havana, specialists from the “William Soler” Pediatric Hospital, and directors of scientific institutions such as BioCubaFarma, the Finlay Vaccine Institute, and the Neurosciences Center, the visitor observed the impact of the unilateral US sanctions on the access to supplies, equipment and markets,
along with the hindrance to produce local medicines.

Despite the difficult and complex scenario, local institutions make huge efforts to keep up vital services and the country’s resilience and innovative capacities.