The oil blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States since January constitutes an ‘energy deprivation’ with ‘serious consequences’ for human rights and the island’s development, UN experts warned on Thursday.
The oil blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States since January constitutes an “energy deprivation” with “serious consequences” for human rights and the island’s development, UN experts warned on Thursday.
“Cuba is subjected to an energy deprivation imposed by the United States, a situation in which the lack of fuel paralyzes the operation of essential services necessary for a dignified life,” said these three experts in a statement.According to these experts, who are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the organization, “this illegal blockade not only disrupts daily life but also undermines the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights.”
In addition to the American embargo in force since 1962, Washington, which does not hide its desire for a regime change in Havana, has imposed an oil blockade on Cuba since January, having allowed the arrival of only one Russian tanker since then.Already shaken by a deep economic crisis, the island of 9.6 million inhabitants has seen its activity almost paralyzed since the end of January.
Experts believe that the presidential decree issued in January by President Donald Trump, based on “an extraordinary threat” that Cuba would pose to the national security of the United States, “has greatly worsened fuel shortages across the island, pushing essential services to the brink of collapse.””If the decree refers to concerns regarding human rights in Cuba, it does not take into account the way in which (…) this unilateral coercive measure directly affects the enjoyment of human rights by the Cuban people,” they added.
According to them, the Cuban healthcare system would have a backlog of more than 96,000 pending surgical procedures – including 11,000 for children – while delays in the national vaccination program have affected thousands of infants.By depriving the population of the energy necessary for the functioning of essential services, this decree (…) infringes on their rights to food, education, health, as well as water and sanitation,” they added, judging that “the use of energy deprivation as a tool of coercion is incompatible with international human rights standards”.
The three experts said they had “formally raised their concerns with the United States government” and “sought clarification on the legal and factual basis of the executive order.”
