Naveed Ahmad Khan
ISLAMABAD:The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Pakistan hosted a press conference on Monday titled “The Human and Economic Cost: Why the World Must Vote to End the U.S. Blockade on Cuba,” addressed by Ambassador H.E. Damián Cordero Torres.
The press conference comes ahead of Cuba presenting its traditional draft resolution to the UN General Assembly on October 27-28, 2026, calling for an end to the decades-long US blockade.
Ambassador Torres said total damages between March 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026 reached a record $8.083 billion. He cited Executive Order 14380 (Jan 29, 2026) imposing tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba as an “energy siege,” and Executive Order 14404 (May 1, 2026) expanding secondary sanctions on energy, mining, finance and defense.
Highlighting humanitarian impact, he said over 100,000 surgeries were postponed due to power outages and fuel shortages, more than 118,000 cancer patients including 1,200 children cannot access first-line treatments, and infant mortality rose to 9.3 per 1,000 live births with 1,780 preventable newborn deaths.
He termed the blockade a violation of International Law and UN Charter and an act of collective punishment, and condemned Cuba’s retention on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list as arbitrary, blocking banking access.
Cuba reiterated readiness for dialogue based on equality and sovereignty, with no concessions on independence, and called for global support for the UN resolution to end the blockade.
