United Nations.- Bruno Rodríguez began his address Saturday by offering his nation's condolences to the people of the Bahamas over the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Dorian. The Cuban diplomat would then turn his attention to the U.S. administration's inhuman blockade of the island nation and Washington's repeated attempts to harm Cuba's economy.

"I want to denounce, before this General Assembly of the United Nations, that just a few months ago the US government has started to implement, criminal, non-conventional measures to prevent fuel shipments from arriving to our country from different markets, by resorting to threats and persecution against the companies that transport fuel, flag States, States of registration as well as shipping and insurance companies," Rodríguez told the United Nations General Assembly.

"As a result of that, we have been facing severe difficulties to ensure the supply of the fuel that the everyday-life of the country demands; and we've been forced to adopt temporary emergency measures that could only be applied in a well-organized country, with a united and fraternal people that is ready to defend itself from foreign aggressions and preserve the social justice that has been achieved," he continued.

Rodríguez pointed out that the U.S. has resorted to using the illegal Helms-Burton Act of 1996 to plunder Cuba's assets and further harm its economy. He condemned the U.S.' recent refusal to allow the First Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party, General Raúl Castro Ruz, to enter the United States.

"On Thursday last, on the basis of gross slanders, the State Department announced that the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, will not be granted a visa to enter this country. This is an action that is void of any practical effect, aimed at offending Cuba's dignity and the feelings of our people. This is nothing but vote-catching leftovers that are being tossed away to the Cuban-American extreme right. However, the open and offensive falsehoods that are being used in an attempt to justify them, which we strongly reject, are a reflection of the baseness and rottenness resorted to by this U.S. administration, which is drowning in a sea of corruption, lies and immorality."

The veteran diplomat then turned his attention to the U.S.' destructive policies towards the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which he condemned to the highest extent.

"We condemn the behavior of the U.S. government against Venezuela, focused on the encouragement of coup d'états, assassination of the country's leaders, economic warfare and sabotage to power generation plants. We reject the implementation of unilateral and coercive measures and the plundering of the country's assets, companies and export revenues. These actions are a serious threat to regional peace and security as well as the direct aggression to the Venezuelan people, despite the attempts to break it through the cruelest ways," Rodríguez said.

The U.S. has used identical sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela in an attempt to force their legitimate governments out of power.

"President Trump ignores or intends to overlook the fact that neoliberal capitalism is the one responsible for the increasing social and economic inequality affecting even the most developed societies and that, given its nature, it fosters corruption, social marginalization, the rise in crime, racial intolerance and xenophobia. He forgets, or does not know, that capitalism begot fascism, apartheid and imperialism," Rodríguez elaborated.

Rodríguez would conclude the topic by condemning the treatment of Brazil's former President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, who Cuba has demanded to be immediately released by the Brazilian authorities. (RHC)

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