At BRICS Parliamentary Forum in India, Cuba Raises Its Voice Against Blockade

The vice president of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP), Ana María Mari Machado, denounced today the U.S. blockade against Cuba and referred to the island's potential within the BRICS framework.

"Cuba could be a center of interest for BRICS trade with the Greater Caribbean," stated the also Council of State member at the fourth plenary session of the 12th Parliamentary Forum of the intergovernmental bloc, which concluded this Tuesday in New Delhi, India's capital.

In this regard, the Cuban lawmaker reiterated her country's willingness to share its experiences and results in the fields of the medical, pharmaceutical, and biopharmaceutical industry, health, education, and science, among others, for the benefit of peoples.

She also reaffirmed the disposition to share experiences and legislative practices on topics of mutual interest and to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy as a complement to that developed among governments.

Mari Machado recognized the strength of the BRICS New Development Bank in providing the bloc's projects with their own financial backing using national currencies.

"With its extension to other countries, that process would contribute to mitigating the unfair imbalances and inequities of the current monetary and financial system," she stated.

The ANPP vice president likewise denounced the genocidal and criminal character of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade that the United States maintains against the Caribbean nation, "reinforced in recent years to extreme and unprecedented levels, which imposes a collective punishment on the Cuban people," she stressed.

She noted that the blockade has incorporated the imposition of an energy siege on Cuba as a tool of maximum pressure.

Mari Machado recalled that this October 27 the draft resolution "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" is being presented at the United Nations General Assembly. In that sense, she assured that despite the desperate pressures exerted on an indeterminate number of delegations, the international community will once again reiterate its support for the demand that the blockade and aggression cease.

She thanked the pronouncements against the blockade by parliaments, governments, friendship groups, legislators, and citizens, as well as many other displays of solidarity and support from the BRICS nations.

She likewise affirmed that nothing will stop Cuba's firm purpose of sovereignly building its model of socialist development, with the close unity of its people.

"No one will be left unprotected; our social policies are oriented in that direction. We will advance in the recovery of our economy and in the well-being of Cuban families," she specified.

She noted that the BRICS parliaments demonstrate through deeds their concern, responsibility, and determination to prevent and act against the proliferation of unilateral coercive measures.

The Cuban lawmaker noted that BRICS is consolidating itself as a new and indispensable actor in world geopolitics, called to increase its relevance and influence in the international sphere.

She also said that there are congruences between Cuba and the bloc regarding the need for civilized coexistence in which peace, solidarity, cooperation, and integration among countries prevail, under the approach of multilateralism and respect for diversity, a just, democratic, and equitable international order based on the sovereign equality of States.

"BRICS is a real hope for advancing toward the reform of the obsolete international financial system, profoundly exclusionary, unjust, and speculative," she noted.

Lastly, Mari Machado reiterated to India her gratitude for its management of the BRICS pro tempore presidency this year, and wished China success in its management during 2027.

"You can count on our support and modest experiences to advance in fulfilling the proposed objectives and priorities," she stressed.