Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez took advantage of his speech this Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly to describe the resumption of the issuance of immigrant visas at the U.S. embassy on the island as a “positive step.”
Also, in his speech, he claimed to have alerted “the government of the United States that the factors that encourage irregular migration and cause loss of life must be solved, such as the failure, on its part, since 2017, of its obligation, according to the current bilateral agreements, to grant no less than 20,000 annual visas for migrants; the existence of the Cuban Adjustment Law, the privileged treatment with political motivation, the restrictive pressures on regular transit countries, and the reinforced economic blockade.”
Hemos alertado al gob. EEUU q deben solucionarse los factores alientan la migración irregular y provocan pérdidas de vidas, como el incumplimiento, desde 2017, de su obligación, según los acuerdos bilaterales vigentes, de otorgar no menos de 20 mil visas anuales para migrantes. pic.twitter.com/EE39GmX2xk
— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) September 22, 2022
Rodríguez reiterated his country’s willingness to “advance towards a better understanding with the U.S. government and develop civilized relations and even cooperation between both countries, based on mutual respect, sovereign equality and without undermining our independence and sovereignty, despite deep differences
The government of the United States had announced this Wednesday that its embassy in Cuba will resume all its services to issue visas to emigrants in early 2023, for the first time since 2017. According to the statement, with this measure, Washington “announces the expansion of available for Cubans who want to come to the US and an increase in the staff of the U.S. embassy” on the island.
The Cuban foreign minister, however, criticized the fact that the government of Democrat Joe Biden maintains the economic embargo on his country, which he called an “act of economic warfare in times of peace.” He also criticized the fact that the current administration in Washington has not reversed the “most aggressive pressure measures” against the island, adopted by the Donald Trump administration (2017-2021).
“The unjustified inclusion of Cuba in the arbitrary and unilateral list issued by the State Department of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism continues,” he said. “That slanderous qualification imposes a stigma on our entities and institutions and makes financial transactions extremely difficult. and commercial, and the possibilities of payments and credits.”
U.S. Embassy in Havana announces visa appointments for immediate family members of U.S. citizens
Rodríguez announced on September 15 that his country plans to resubmit a draft resolution to the Assembly to end the U.S. embargo. It will be the thirtieth time that Havana has brought this draft resolution before the General Assembly, which has been generally supported in this body, although without practical effects.
According to Havana, only in the first 14 months of the Biden administration, the embargo has cost Cuba 6.364 billion dollars. The presentation of the draft resolution is scheduled for November 2 and 3.
EFE/OnCuba
