United Nations: Cuba on Friday accused the United States of using UN premises to advance a political agenda against Havana, days before the United Nations is due to hold its annual vote on a resolution calling for an end to the US embargo on the island.
Speaking at the United Nations, Cuba's UN Ambassador Ernesto Soberon denounced a US-organised event scheduled for 19 October at UN headquarters under the title "Cuba Libre, the Oppression, Havana Heights", calling it a politically motivated exercise aimed at targeting Cuba.
"We denounce this event in the strongest possible terms," Soberon said.
He said the event's "clear purpose is to target Cuba, promote the hostile narrative against our country, and use the premises of the United Nations to advance (the) political agenda of the United States government against a sovereign member state."
The remarks came ahead of the UN General Assembly's annual debate on 27–28 October on a Cuban-sponsored resolution urging an end to the decades-old US embargo.
Soberon called on UN member states to support the resolution and again criticised Washington's sanctions policy towards the island.
"Cuba will not be intimidated, blackmailed, or silenced," he said.
"The issue before the international community is clear. The United States should stop attacking Cuba and comply with the repeated demand of the international community to end its illegal and inhumane blockade."
Soberon argued that the impact of the US embargo on Cuba had reached "an unprecedented level" this year and said: "Cuba is not a threat. The blockade is."
The United Nations General Assembly has for decades overwhelmingly approved non-binding resolutions calling on the United States to end its embargo on Cuba, though Washington has maintained the sanctions regime.
