Withdraw sanctions, release patriots: Cuban envoy tells US
October 31st, 2009 - 1:12 pm ICT by IANS
Agartala, Oct 31 (IANS) Cuban Ambassador to India Miguel Angel Ramirez Ramos has urged the US to withdraw the embargo on Cuba and release five of its citizens, who have been in American jail for the past 11 years.
“My country has lost more than $92 billion in trade and commerce since the embargo started in the early 1960s,” Ramos said while addressing a seminar here Friday night on 50 years of Cuban revolution.
“The 192-nation United Nations General Assembly Wednesday passed a resolution with 187 nations in favour and three against (with two abstentions) condemning the US embargo on Cuba and for the 18th consecutive year urged the US to lift the sanctions,” he said.
The Cuban ambassador also appealed to the US to free five Cuban patriots from their jail.
“US President Barack Obama has easily got the Nobel Peace Prize, now he must show some generosity towards the innocent freedom fighters and peace loving nations,” Ramos added.
Ramos, who came here Friday on a two-day visit to Tripura, unveiled a bronze bust of Ernesto Che Guevara, the icon of the Cuban revolution, in Agartala.
He regretted that false, biased and half-truth propaganda has been going on in most parts of the world against communist island nation.
Highlighting the Cuba’s human and economic development, Ramos said: “My small country has literate 3.5 million people and returned eyesight to 1.8 million people free of cost across the world.”
“Cuba has ensured the rights of the people in education, health, housing and other basic factors while the country has developed in sports too.”
“The complex international situation, the negative economic environment and the increased aggressiveness on the part of the US government has forced Cuba to make huge efforts to reach the progress that our social development has recently seen.”
The ambassador said Cuba had been fighting against US imperialism with its strong ideology and strong commitment towards welfare of the people across the world.
“My country believe that ideology is powerful than a brigade of army. Che Guevara is not only depicted in T-shirts or caps, he is an icon for everybody for his work, ideology and strong commitment towards the freedom of people,” Ramos added.
The seminar, organised by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), was also addressed by party’s central committee members Mohammad Salim and Bijon Dhar, who is also the secretary of the Tripura unit of the party.
The DYFI leaders announced that they would launch a country-wide campaign and send messages across the world demanding release of the five US imprisoned Cubans.
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