South Africa
30. October 2018
President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed South Africa’s support for Cuba’s annual resolution on the “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America (USA) against Cuba,” which will be voted on in the General Assembly at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, 31 October 2018.
The USA has imposed a statutory embargo on Cuba for the past 56 years and the severe economic and financial restrictions under the embargo continue to stifle the economic and social development of Cuba. The current US policy towards Cuba under President Trump not only enforces but intensifies the embargo, which ignores the majority support of the international community to the lifting of the embargo and the normalisation of Cuba-US relations.
South Africa will support the member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Group of 77 and China (G77), the African Group and other groupings in the UN that support the lifting of this inhumane embargo against Cuba and its people and registers its rejection of the proposed amendments by the US to the draft resolution to be adopted.
In this context, South Africa reaffirms its call for an end to the unilateral economic, commercial and financial blockade and urges the US Government to reconsider its policies towards Cuba.
President Ramaphosa assured Cuba of South Africa’s continued support and solidarity and said that we will again vote in favour of the resolution.
Enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707
ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA