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Ambassador says US blockade of Cuba continues

Cuba will submit a resolution to the UN General Assembly session on October 26 urging the need to halt the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the US

MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. Measures announced by the United States to weaken the blockade of Cuba have no effect and sooner meet the interests of Washington than Havana, Cuban Ambassador to Russia Emilio Lozada Garcia said on Wednesday.

As the diplomat said, Cuba will submit a resolution to the UN General Assembly session on October 26 urging the need to halt the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the United States.

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"We’re turning to all the states so that the entire world can raise its voice for lifting the blockade, which has been affecting the country for the past 60 years," the ambassador said.

Despite the recent measures announced by the United States on easing the blockade, it continues, he added.

"The blockade continues. It has not been weakened and it keeps its effect," the diplomat said.

"We continue sustaining losses from it and it affects all the sectors of Cuba’s social life. There is no Cuban citizen who wouldn’t feel the pressure of the blockade - it affects his/her wages, earnings and access to medical services," the ambassador said.

"The blockade is of genocide nature," he added.

The US measures on weakening the blockade are of restrictive nature and sooner meet the interests of the United States than Cuba, the ambassador said.

Cubans cannot export their goods to the US, he said. "The blockade also affects the financial sector and Cuba cannot carry out money transfers or transactions in US dollars, although [US President] Barack Obama has made a statement that Cuba can make such transactions. The Cubans are also banned from opening correspondent accounts in US banks," the diplomat said, adding that the existing restrictions were also affecting US tourists who "cannot freely travel to Cuba as there is a ban of the US Congress."

In the period from April 2015 to March 2016, the republic’s losses from the blockade exceeded $4.6 billion, Lozada Garcia said.

"Overall, Cuba’s damage from the blockade has totaled $753 billion over the 60 years, if compared to the value of gold," the ambassador said.

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