Russia Denounces US Blockade on Cuba as Attempt to Change Government

The United States' blockade against Cuba is an attempt to change the island's government and an example of interference in the internal affairs of an independent state, said the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, on Thursday.

The diplomat declared at a press conference that "the US blockade of the Island of Freedom is a many-years-long sanctions war unleashed by the United States against Cuba to achieve its main goal: the removal of a government it finds undesirable."

Zakharova pointed out that Washington's actions are causing "colossal losses" to the Cuban economy. "All that affects the welfare of Cuban citizens and represents the main obstacle for the full realization of human rights in Cuba, primarily in the spheres of healthcare, education, energy, and food security," she stated.

The spokeswoman also declared that Moscow welcomes the near-unanimous approval of the UN General Assembly resolution on the necessity of lifting the embargo against Cuba. She reiterated Russia's position in favor of the immediate removal of the Latin American state from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly approved for the thirty-third time a resolution titled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." The vote saw 165 in favor, seven against, and twelve abstentions.

The US economic blockade against Cuba was formally imposed on February 7, 1962, by an executive order from then-President John F. Kennedy. Since 1992, the General Assembly has annually adopted similar resolutions urging Washington to lift the sanctions against Cuba. Despite broad international support, these resolutions are non-binding.