Cuban foreign minister slams US over embargo

Posted on Monday, 10.01.12

Cuban foreign minister slams US over embargo
By CLAUDIA TORRENS
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS -- Cuba's foreign minister told the U.N. General Assembly
on Monday that the United States is keeping Cuba on its list of states
that sponsor terrorism in order to justify its embargo on the Caribbean
nation.

Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the list's purpose "is to fabricate
pretexts to increase the persecution of Cuba's financial transactions
and justify the blockade policy which has caused invaluable human and
economic damage."

He said Cuba remains ready to normalize relations with the U.S. and
criticized Washington's 50-year embargo on the island.

Rodriguez also accused the U.S. and "some" European governments of
seeking to overthrow the Syrian government, saying the U.S. and its
allies have "armed, financed and trained opposition groups, and resorted
to using mercenaries."

Other Latin American officials speaking at the United Nations emphasized
the region's rise against what they called imperial and U.S. domination.
Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil all
have leftist or left-of-center governments.

"Progressively the domination that the imperial powers and their
multinationals have imposed on our development is being overcome," said
Venezuela's U.N. ambassador Jorge Valero.

Rodriguez also mentioned the new attitude in Latin America and lashed
out at Washington's treatment of the island nation.

"The United States' policy toward our region, whether the government is
Republican or Democrat, is in essence the same," he said.

U.S. State Department spokesman William Ostick said he wouldn't respond
to Rodriguez's comments.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/01/3029406/cuban-foreign-minister-slams-us.html