During his address at the High-Level Segment of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, Rodriguez stressed that the executive order issued on January 29 by US President Donald Trump seeks to impose a total blockade on fuel supplies to Cuba through blackmail and coercion of third countries.

He described this measure as a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter, adding to the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed for more than six decades, as well as the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism.

The Foreign Minister remembered that the objective of these actions is “to provoke hunger, desperation, and the overthrow of the government,” in line with Lester Mallory’s 1960 memorandum, and emphasized that the so-called “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine confirms Washington’s hegemonic ambitions over Latin America and the Caribbean.

Rodriguez denounced the United States’ trampling of multilateralism, its disregard for international institutions and agreements, and its attempts to supplant the functions of UN bodies with arbitrary and openly hegemonic initiatives.

He also rejected the US notion of so-called “peace through strength,” which seeks to replace the norms of international law with the prevalence of the use of force.

The Foreign Minister expressed his gratitude for the Special Declaration adopted by the GADC in solidarity with Cuba and in rejection of Washington’s aggressive escalation, and urged the group to play a leading role in defending the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

“We must boost dialogue, cooperation, respect for the sovereign equality of states, and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Rodriguez stated, reiterating Cuba’s commitment to multilateralism and the inalienable right of every people to self-determination.

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