U.S. reminds UN Cuban trade embargo is “bilateral issue”

U.S. reminds UN Cuban trade embargo is “bilateral issue”

U.S. reminds UN Cuban trade embargo is “bilateral issue”

   The U.S. representative at the United Nations this week said the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba is a “bilateral issue,” and has no business being raised by Cuba in the General Assembly.
   Amb. Ronald Godard told the General Assembly Tuesday that Cuban leader Fidel Castro “continues with his cynical and baseless claims that the embargo denies Cuba access to food and medicine.”
   Godard noted that since 1992 the United States has licensed more than $1.1 billion in the sale and donation of medicine and medical equipment to Cuba. The United States has also licensed the export of more than $5 billion in agricultural commodities during the past five years.
   “If the people of Cuba are jobless, hungry or lack medical care, as Castro admits, it is because of his economic mismanagement, not the embargo,” Godard said. “Castro gives his people a stark choice; work for his regime, or starve. Then he blames the embargo for the problems he created.”
   Godard also said Cuba is not restricted from trading with other countries. “Castro knows that the real reason behind Cuba’s trade problems is the failure of his country to pay its bills, and billions of dollars of loans in arrears,” he said.