U.S. blockade against Cuba remains intact, Deputy FM says

Panama City, Jul 1 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister, Elio Rodríguez, affirmed that the U.S. blockade of the island remains intact, according to La Estrella de Panamá newspaper.

Since the blockade was imposed, Cuba has suffered economic losses of around 160 billion dollars, Rodríguez said and added that it affects all aspects of the lives of Cubans, not only the government.

In his statements he also mentioned that restrictions on Cuba of all kinds for more than 60 years have prevented the acquisition of medicines for the treatment of pediatric childhood cancer, in addition to the difficult situation due to Covid-19.

Rodriguez, who recently led on the Cuban side the VI round of bilateral talks on migration issues, also told La Estrella…that the exclusions imposed by Washington during the IX Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles to Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, marked part of the agenda of the event and put again on the table the discussion of the blockade faced by the island.

Regarding migration talks and the ties between Cuba and Panama, Rodriguez pointed out that both governments are interested in regular, safe and orderly migration.

Panama and Cuba have historically positive relations, we have a bilateral dialogue between the Foreign Ministers that we want to reactivate. We want to strengthen economic and commercial relations, as well as cooperation in the area of health, something that we have already advanced, he remarked.

He also pointed out that the issue of irregular migration has been handled by the United States politically as a weapon against Cuba.