Media Release
New Zealand Cuba Friendship Societies
UN General Assembly overwhelmingly supports end of Cuba blockade

For Immediate Release
29 October 2009

U.N.G.A. Resolution on Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba

New Zealand Cuba Friendship Societies applaud the stand taken by 187 principled countries in condemning the United States blockade of Cuba in the United Nations General Assembly for the 18th consecutive year.

This year’s vote of 187 to 3 against and 2 abstentions follows hard on the heels of more than 15 United Nations agencies reporting that the illegal and immoral blockade increases their costs and undermines international co-operation, and Amnesty International reporting that in restricting the direct import of medicine, medical equipment and supplies and imposing similar restrictions on companies operating in third countries, the U.S. is acting contrary to the Charter of the United Nations.

In the light of almost universal condemnation both inside and out of the General Assembly, we therefore demand that President Obama take immediate steps to end the blockade by exercising his presidential prerogative to:

* Remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism such that full bilateral trade and other links between the U.S. and Cuba are possible;

* Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act 2009, (Senate [S.1089]; House of Representatives [H.R. 1531]);

* Cuba Reconciliation Act [H.R. 188];

* United States-Cuba Trade Normalization Act 2009 [H.R. 2272];

* Free Trade with Cuba Act [H.R. 1530]; and

* Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act (Senate [S. 428]; House of Representatives [H.R. 874]).

We further consider that the first step to improving relations between the U.S. and Cuba such that the above measures can implemented is for President Obama to immediately release Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, René González, and Fernando González, the five Cubans jailed in the U.S. for fighting U.S.-based terrorist attacks against their country.

ENDS

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