US Anti-Cuba Blockade Policy Punishes German Bank

The United States Treasury Department Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed on the New York branch of Germany's Commerzbank a fine of $175,000 for accepting transactions that violate the 50-year blockade on the Republic of Cuba
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The US government claims the second largest bank in Germany was the consultant in a September 2005 transaction between a Cuban company and a Canadian partner, on which Commerzbank never informed the OFAC.
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This report of the Treasury terms the operation a notorious case of violation of US Laws and "Commerzbank should be aware of the prohibitions concerning the Cuba Case (.....) to prevent such violations in the future." 
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Last November 186 among 191 countries voted for the 20th consecutive occasion at the UN General Assembly against the anti-Cuba coercive policy by every US Administration from the triumph of the Revolution.
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The government of Cuba has been exposing in world forums documented evidence of the over $975 billion loss it has endured through nearly six decades of commercial harassment.
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This very year and before the case of the German bank, JP Morgan Chase paid a $88.3M fine for alleged transgression of White House regulations to deal with Cuba, with the Treasury claiming that JP Morgan participated in 1,711 transfers for $176 million involving either private people or Cuban institutions.
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Earlier, the US branch of CMA-CNG, the third largest container shipping company, was fined $374,400 for transporting cargo to Havana.
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In December 2008, Credit Swisse Bank paid a $536M sanction because of its financial agreements with Cuba.
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In January this year, US President Barack Obama introduced slight changes to the regulations on the US blockade but the most stringent terms remain in force.
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He did approve of trips to Cuba for academic, religious, cultural or sports events, within a framework Washington defines as "promotion of people-to-people contacts." 
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Click here to read Cuba’sReport of Resolution 65/6

US Government Hides Truth about the Cuban Five

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The president of the Cuban National Assembly (Parliament), Ricardo Alarcon, said there is evidence that the US Government paid media outlets in Miami to lie as part of a smear campaign against the five Cuban antiterrorists who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States since 1998

Addressing participants in the 12th International Congress on Pedagogy last Thursday, Alarcon noted that the US mainstream media continues to hide the truth about the case of Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Fernando Gonzalez —internationally known as The Cuban Five.

He added that their silence confirms the innocence of the Cuban antiterrorists who were arrested and given harsh and unjust sentences for monitoring extremist groups in South Florida, which were planning and carrying out terrorist actions against Cuba.

The president of the Cuban Parliament demanded the immediate release of The Five and pointed out that US President Barack Obama and his government both know they are committing “an inexcusable injustice and it is in their hands to bring back some decency to the White House.”

“The Five are our best educators,” Alarcon told the representatives from more than 20 countries who are participating in Pedagogia 2011, which concludes on Friday at Havana’s Convention Center.

Source acn

International Human Rights Day: 5 days for the 5

Starting today (December 10) the International Day of Human Rights, and for the next 5 consecutive days, supporters of the Cuban Five around the world have been asked to call, or send faxes, or send e-mails, or telegrams to the White House to demand that President Obama  Free the 5 Cuban Patriots imprisoned in the United States for defending their homeland.

Full information is available  on the Free the Five Webpage click here to go 

Cuba Policy to Remain Intact, says Obama

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2009 United Nations vote on a Cuban motion condemning the US blockade;

178 FOR : 3 AGAINIST

US President Barack Obama, ruled out a change of policy toward Cuba until the island’s government shows its gestures are serious on the road toward greater freedom in the Caribbean island nation, reported IPS on Wednesday.

Speaking during a press conference to Spanish-speaking media in Washington, Obama said “I think that any release of political prisoners, any economic liberalization that takes place in Cuba is positive, positive for Cuban people, but we’ve not yet seen the full results of these promises.”

Before Obama took office in January 2009, he gave the impression of his desire to make changes in the hostile US policy towards Cuba and possibly free-up ordinary US citizens to visit the neighbouring country.

Nonetheless, after nearly two years of the current administration, the half-century economic blockade and the travel ban remain firmly in place.

On Tuesday October 26, the United Nations is scheduled to once again vote on a Cuban motion to condemn the US blockade.  In last year’s vote only Israel and Palau voted with the US, while 187 countries sided with Cuba’s position.

Havana Times

Also See

Open Letter to the President from Danny Glover on the Cuban Five

'Attempted Coup' in Ecuador

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Cuba Rejects Coup Attempt in Ecuador and Supports President Rafael Correa

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Rafael Correa (with microphone), addresses his supporters from the balcony of the government palace in Quito after the coup attempt. 

Photograph: Pato Realpe/EPA

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla read a declaration from the Government of the Republic of Cuba strongly condemning the coup attempt in Ecuador and expressing the island’s support of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Thursday afternoon.

The text reads that Cuba expects that the Ecuadorian Armed Forces will respect and observe the Constitution of their country and that they will guarantee the inviolability of the democratically elected president, Rafael Correa, and democracy.

The statement also challenges the government of the United States to condemn the coup attempt noting that, until now, the spokesman of the State Department has only said that the US “is closely following the situation.”

The statement of support says that events like this only serve foreign interests like the U.S. interventionist policies in the region, and obstruct independent processes in an attempt to silence the voice of Ecuador and its President.

The declaration concludes saying that Cuba already warned that the impunity enjoyed by coup d’état perpetrators in Honduras, with the participation of U.S. power circles, opened a new era of coup d’états and military dictatorships in the region.

Cuban Revolution Leader Fidel Castro also published written reflections, entitled "Unbelievable News”, in which he quoted the denunciations of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Bolivian President Evo Morales of the attempted coup. Fidel wrote, ¨ President Rafael Correa is firm and unyielding.

The people are much more organized. In my opinion the coup is already lost.

Even Obama and Mrs. Clinton will have no other alternative than to condemn it.¨

Source

U.S. blockade Causes Billions in Losses

The  blockade has cost Cuba over 750 billion dollars in direct economic damage

The U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade has cost Cuba over 750 billion dollars in direct economic damages in half a century, reads a report introduced today by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

This figure reveals that despite there is a new US government, allegedly inspired by the philosophy of change, there hasn’t been any change in its policy towards the island, said the Cuban Minister.

Rodriguez Parrilla presented today to the domestic and foreign press the report on the subject that Cuba will take to the 65 regular session of the UN General Assembly.


An act of genocide

He called the blockade an act of genocide that has extraterritorial reach, since its unilateral sanctions would have a widespread effect on business outside the U.S. territory over third countries and their citizens.

He denounced that Cuba continues being prevented from exporting or importing goods and services freely to or from United States; it cannot use the US dollar in international transactions or have accounts in that currency in banks of third countries, and it is not allowed access to credit from U.S. banks , its subsidiaries and institutions under its control.

He cited statements made to NBC by the economic adviser to President Barack Obama Lawrence Summers, according to which, the lifting of the embargo, as he euphemistically call it “will depend on what Cuba does”

No intention to change

 “It is clear that the United States government harbors no intention to change in its policy toward Cuba, or to comply with the repeated resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations calling for its removal,” said the minister.

On the contrary, he said, they still cling to interventionist unacceptable conditions and requirements as a condition for a correction of their strategy.

Although he had a considerable political support in Congress, in the press, public opinion and the business sector, President Obama has been far below the expectations of its prerogative to alter significant aspects of policy, he said.

It is a smoking mirror the claim that the U.S. president cannot change the economic, commercial and financial siege that has lasted half a century, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Violation of basic international norms and continued political subversion
 
However, he warned, the current U.S. administration, violating basic international standards, continues using political subversion as a weapon in its confrontation with Cuba and approved, to promote such programs, 40 million US dollars for the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years

In 2009 representatives of 187 countries showed their support to Cuba at the Un General Assembly, with only three against: U.S., Israel and Palau, the last two dependent on the first.

The 65 session of the General Assembly of the United Nations began on Tuesday and there will be a debate with the participation of Heads of State and Ministers of Foreign Affairs. It will run from September 23 to the 30.
Source

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Report By Cuba

On Resolution 64/6 of the United Nations General Assembly

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United Nations Documents

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
62/3. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba


Reports of the Secretary-General at the United Nations on the Us Blockade Against Cuba

2005    2006   2007  2008

Obama Prolongs US Blockade of Cuba

President Barack Obama notified on Friday the extension of sanctions against Cuba as established by the Trade with the Enemy Act. The action aims at maintaining the US economic, financial and commercial US blockade on the Caribbean nation.

A communiqué released by The White House explains that Obama signed and send a memorandum to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to the Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner extending the enforcement of the legislation until September 14, 2011.

In the memorandum, the US President explains that the extension for a year of these measures on Cuba is in the national interests of the United States.

By extending these regulations, Washington reiterates its stance that the Cuban government is still a risk for US national security and therefore it prohibits US companies from making business with Cuba.

The renovation of the measures is just the same old story, since previous US administrations continued to extend the regulations annually; so then, Obama follows up on the same policy without any change at all.

Cuba is the only country of the world submitted to sanctions established by the Trade with the Enemy Act, which dates back to 1917, after the Bush administration decided to not renew such regulations in 2008 against the People´s Democratic Republic of Korea. 

Source Granma

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The Blockade – Amnesty International’s View