United Nations votes 191-2 to condemn U.S. embargo against Cuba

United Nations votes 191-2 to condemn U.S. embargo against Cuba

U.S. once again votes against resolution
First vote on resolution since U.S., Cuba reestablished diplomatic ties
U.N. debates resolution condemning embargo for 24th year
BY MIMI WHITEFIELD
mwhitefield@miamiherald.com

In the first United Nations vote on a resolution condemning the U.S.
embargo against Cuba since the two countries renewed diplomatic ties in
July, Cuba scored its biggest victory yet as the General Assembly voted
191-2 to adopt the resolution.

The only drama was how the United States would vote after its Dec. 17
announcement of a rapprochement with Cuba and its renewal of diplomatic
relations with Havana in July after a gap of more than 54 years.

In explaining its "no" vote, the United States said that it couldn't
support the resolution because "the text falls short of reflecting the
significant steps that have been taken and the spirit of engagement
President [Barack] Obama has championed." The other no vote came from
Israel, which has consistently voted with its ally on this issue.

"If Cuba thinks this exercise will help move things forward in the
direction both governments have indicated they wish, it is mistaken,"
Ambassador Ronald D. Godard, U.S. senior area adviser for Western
Hemisphere Affairs, said at the General Assembly.

Despite demonstrated progress in the relationship, Godard said, the
United States "finds it unfortunate" the Cuban government has chosen to
introduce a resolution "nearly identical" to those of years past.

The United States had to balance its developing relationship with Cuba
and the president's position that he wants to work with Congress to get
the embargo lifted against an awkward and unprecedented stance of not
standing in opposition to a resolution contrary to U.S. law.

Comments by Godard and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also
reflect a split in how the two countries view their evolving relationship.

In his remarks, Rodríguez did acknowledge the new relationship with the
United States and the president's repeated calls to Congress to begin
the process of lifting the blockade, the Cuban term for the embargo.

But he said "the facts make crystal clear" that the blockade is still
being fully and completely applied.

The new rules on Cuban trade and travel, undertaken by Obama using his
executive authority, are positive, said Rodríguez, but they "only modify
in a very limited way some elements of the implementation of the
blockade. Many of them can't be implemented unless others are adopted
that finally would permit Cuba to freely import and exports goods and
services to and from the United States."

The problem isn't, as some U.S. officials have suggested, that Cuba's
system thwarts the new trade opportunities and changes need to be made,
he said, but rather that the embargo continues to exist.

"The human damage it has caused is inestimable," Rodríguez said.

"The Obama Administration is caught between history. They want to lift
the embargo, but they cannot ignore the law of the land. Secondly, the
language of these resolutions is not conducive for the U.S. to vote in
favor," said Miami lawyer Augusto Maxwell who heads Akerman Senterfitt's
Cuba practice. "Law and policy can tie people up in votes."

The vote has become an autumn ritual at the United Nations. Last year
for the 23rd year in a row, the international body overwhelmingly passed
the resolution condemning the U.S. embargo against the island by a vote
of 188 to 2. Again, the United States and Israel were the only nations
to vote against the resolution.

Three small Pacific island nations — Micronesia, the Marshall Islands
and Palau — abstained last year. But just as the 70th General Assembly
session — the first attended by Cuban leader Raúl Castro — opened, Palau
and the Marshall Islands both established diplomatic ties with Cuba.
Earlier in September, Micronesia established diplomatic relations during
the Forum of the Pacific Islands in Papua, New Guinea.

This year the three changed their votes to favor the resolution, giving
Cuba its largest victory margin ever.

South Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen condemned the U.N.
vote, saying "once again, the United Nations General Assembly falls in
line to support the brutal Castro dictatorship while ignoring the plight
of the people of Cuba..... This institution is not interested in the
democratic rights or freedoms of those living under repressive regimes."

Many speakers during the debate on the resolution acknowledged the
renewal of diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba and the
island's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. They
said they welcomed the actions.

But some speakers said the steps taken by the United States were still
limited and that the embargo remained unchanged or had even been
tightened since the historic rapprochement was announced.

María Emma Mejía Vélez, Colombia's permanent representative, said her
country was optimistic that Obama's "political will" to work with
Congress to lift the embargo will serve as a basis for its end. But she
said, "The embargo runs counter to international law."

Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community, Courtenay Rattray, the
permanent representative of Jamaica, noted that "Cuba is the most
popular state of the Caribbean." He said the embargo wasn't only
punitive against Cuba, "but an impediment to our shared regional
development."

In the U.N. Secretary General's report on the embargo, Cuba puts a price
tag of $833.75 billion for accumulated damages caused by more than a
half-century of the U.S. policy of economically isolating Cuba. Taking
into account the declining value of gold against the dollar, the
economic toll would still be $121.2 billion, according to the Cubans.

That figure not only includes the cost of Cuba not being able to sell
its products in the largest market in the world, but also the additional
cost of dealing with more distant markets, and commercial losses in
trade with other nations fearful of running afoul of U.S. sanctions
against Cuba.

Despite the new relationship with the United States, Cuba contends there
has been an intensification of the financial and extraterritorial
aspects of the embargo, including billions of dollars in fines against
third-country banks and financial institutions for using the U.S. dollar
in transactions with Cuba.

Rodríguez said that just last week France's Credit Agricole agreed to
pay a fine of $1.1 billion to settle allegations it handled billions of
dollars in transactions with Cuba — and other sanctioned countries. He
also said that Sprint's first payment after launching direct service
between the United States and Cuba was held up.

Sarah Stephens, executive director of the Center for Democracy in the
Americas, noted that the resolution written by Cuba this year did
acknowledge that "U.S. policy has changed and the trajectory of the
U.S.-Cuba relationship is heading in a new, more positive direction."

She said the no vote by the United States "is essentially a hiccup; it
reminds us of the ongoing damage done to Cuba and the U.S. by keeping
the embargo in place, but it also tells us that the future is about
diplomatic recognition and engagement."

But Ric Herrera, executive director of Cuba Now, which advocates for
normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations, said the U.N. vote "represents
another missed opportunity to build momentum toward normalized U.S.-Cuba
relations." He said the vote would have been historic and more
significant if the United States had chosen to abstain.

Source: United Nations votes 191-2 to condemn U.S. embargo against Cuba
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