Cuba denounces US blockade at plenary of G77 and China

HAVANA, Cuba, February 10 (ACN) Cuba denounced the consequences of the tightened economic blockade imposed by the United States during the 1rst Plenary Meeting of 2026 of the Group of 77 and China, UNESCO Chapter, held at the Organization's headquarters on Monday, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website, Cubaminrex.

Maria del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, Cuba's ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, condemned the executive order signed on January 29 by the US president, which imposes tariffs and sanctions on countries that supply oil to the island.

The diplomat stated that these coercive measures against third-party states violate international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, while seeking to impose an absolute blockade on fuel supplies.

Herrera Caseiro emphasized that the tightening of sanctions affects essential sectors linked to UNESCO's mandate, such as education, science, culture, and communication, by hindering access to technologies, international cooperation, and scientific research.

The Cuban representative also denounced manipulation campaigns and unfounded accusations aimed at justifying a policy of economic pressure whose stated objective is to inflict suffering on the population and force political changes in the country.

In this context, Cuba expressed its gratitude for the Special Statement adopted on February 5 in New York by the Group of 77 and China, which rejected the new measures intensifying the economic, commercial, and financial blockade and expressed international solidarity with the island.

At the end of the statement, delegations present at the meeting expressed their support for Cuba and their rejection of the unilateral coercive measures.

The Group of 77 and China comprises more than 130 member states and is the largest intergovernmental grouping of developing countries within the United Nations system.

The UNESCO Chapter held its first plenary session of the year under the presidency of Azerbaijan.

The meeting included the participation of UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, who presented the roadmap for the “UNESCO 80” initiative and discussed the Organization's priorities and future prospects with the delegations.