“Despite a campaign of pressure, blackmail, and intimidation by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the vast majority of UN member states—130 in total—voted once again to put an end to this criminal, illegal, and inhumane” siege, the association stated.

It noted that those who voted against the resolution “demonstrate a level of submission, servility, and a lack of sovereignty—departing from how they have traditionally voted”—while the increase in the number of abstentions to 25 reflects “cowardice and fear” of reprisals from Washington.

The association pointed out that “the disgraceful Yankee representative Michael Waltz lied without any shame, denying the blockade and repeating the same slanders historically used to denigrate the Cuban government—all without a single argument or any real evidence to support his claims.”

It denounced the provocations by the United States delegation, as well as their attempt to portray individuals—with a proven history as terrorists and criminals who have threatened the security of the Cuban state—as victims, in an effort to divert attention from the issue under discussion.

In the Association’s view, the dignity, courage, and ethics of the Caribbean nation’s diplomats were on full display during the two-day debate on the document calling for an end to the siege; furthermore, the political victory of the Cuban Revolution—in the face of Washington’s attempts at isolation—was clearly demonstrated.

The world must “bear in mind that, in the face of imperial aggression, what has been done to Cuba for nearly seven decades could be applied to any other country. Defending Cuba today means defending the sovereignty, self-determination, and independence of all peoples,” it warned.

The organization reaffirmed that the largest of the Antilles is not a threat—but the blockade is.

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