The administration of the US President Donald Trump, after the UN warned about the widespread damage to the population caused by the sanctions applied to Cuba, defended them, writes Reuters.
A White House spokesman, in response to Reuters’ request for comment, said the sanctions target Cuban leaders and legal entities that support the regime’s abusive campaign to undermine US security.
Washington has imposed sanctions on a wide range of Cuban companies and individuals, including the country’s president, thus increasing pressure on the communist regime. The sanctions follow the US announcement earlier this year that it would impose higher import tariffs on any country that supplies Cuba with oil, leading to regular blackouts on the island.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk said on the 8th of June that
the sanctions affect the human rights of the Cuban population,
especially access to basic necessities and services, including water, food and healthcare. Turk pointed out that such heavy sanctions, which are directed against wide sectors of the economy and which create comprehensive and severe consequences for the population, are against international human rights laws.
A White House spokesman pointed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s earlier comments that Washington was ready to begin a new chapter in relations with Havana. The only thing standing in the way of this is the current Cuban leaders, who should come to an agreement with the US before it is too late.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment, but Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on social media that the US energy blockade has harmed the Cuban population and is hindering the work of international agencies.
Read also: Cuba runs out of fuel due to US blockade
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