Next Wednesday, for the 16th consecutive year, the resolution "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" will be dealt with at the UN General Assembly. Last year the resolution was approved by 183 of the 192 UN member nations, with only 4 votes against and one abstention.

According to Ambassador Carlos M. Salsamendi, for 47 years, the Cuban people have been suffering under the imposition of the blockade which was part of the aggressive policy adopted against Cuba by the United State's Government through acts of sabotage, fostering terrorist actions in Cuba, even at the Bay of Pigs invasion that was defeated by the Cuban people. Ambassador Salsamendi noted that such hostile policy has been further strengthened by the present US administration as a top priority issue on President Bush's agenda. Ambassador Salsalmendi further said the best proof of such assertion is none other than that of Bush, in which he announced an unprecedented escalation of his policy against Cuba. He said President Bush's intentions are to change Cuba's system by force; that Bush declared that in future dealings with Cuba the word of order will not be stability, the word of order will be liberty," stressed the Ambassador. The Cuban Ambassador asserted that Bush has no moral authority, nor the legal mandate, to impose changes of legal and political systems that other peoples of the world have chosen for their countries. He said "It is an outright violation of our rights as an independent people". He pointed out that Bush is now getting ready to pack soon, leaving the white house; that he is acting out of frustration since all his plans against Cuba have failed. Ambassador Salsamendi challenged Bush for saying that the Cuban Government is isolated in the international community, when Cuba was recently elected to the UNESCO Executive Council by 157 votes out of 175, noting that Cuba was the third world country most voted for.

Ambassador Salsamendi also highlighted the losses his country had made economically due to the US blockade. He said Cuba had lost 89 billion dollars for the past 50 years due to the blockade, noting that, that is genocide. "The United States had for the past 16 years utterly disregarded the decision of the International Community which has been approved unanimously by the UN General Assembly, " he said the blockade registered damages in their country's economy besides the hardships the Cuban population has been subjected to.