For his part, Cuba’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón, denounced the incident to the press, affirming: "We will never kneel. We will not surrender."
The meeting convened by Washington—which comes just days before the report titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” is to be presented to the UN General Assembly—was described by the Cuban official as a "farce." He further condemned the White House for using UN facilities to promote its policy of aggression against the Cuban people, while attempting to divert attention from the blockade intended to economically suffocate the island.
"The United States is acting like an international criminal, imposing collective punishment on the people of Cuba," the diplomat stated. In this regard, he pointed to the consequences of the economic, commercial, financial, and energy blockade, which fall directly upon the people of the Caribbean nation.
He added that, even as this blockade intensifies to an unprecedented degree, the U.S. government attempts to present arguments that fail to justify such conduct.
He also emphasized that this was an “entirely clandestine meeting, unrelated to the UN agenda.” Furthermore, he expressed regret that the UN Secretariat did not prevent the event from taking place, despite repeated warnings from the Cuban delegation.
Additionally, Soberón accused Washington of summoning representatives from a small, selective, and discriminatory group of member states to spread falsehoods about Cuba.
Among the participants are individuals convicted of crimes or linked to terrorist organizations responsible for deaths and suffering among the Cuban population.
Among them was the notorious terrorist Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, included in the national list of people and entities associated with terrorism, compiled by the Cuban Government in compliance with mandates from the Security Council.
Upon his arrival at the UN headquarters, Gutiérrez Boronat was greeted by demands from those present to prevent him from being in an organization that was created with the aim of achieving world peace.
The Cuban diplomat affirmed that the meeting is a maneuver with which the empire intends to divert attention from the real problem: the consequences of the U.S. blockade and maximum pressure measures. In that space he declared that Washington uses the cause of human rights to try to undermine Cuba's right to self-determination and sovereignty.
In his speech, Soberón stressed that any attempt by the Government of the northern nation to break the determination and unity of the Cuban people will represent a waste of time, efforts and resources.
"CUBA IS HERE, NOT IN THERE"
In a statement to the press, he pointed out that the issue legitimately on the General Assembly’s agenda is the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba and the need to put an end to that policy.
"Cuba is here, not in there. The representatives of the Cuban people are here—not with them," he stated.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the matter legitimately inscribed on the General Assembly’s agenda is the siege imposed upon the Caribbean nation and the necessity of ending that policy. This debate, he noted, will take place publicly—for the thirty-fourth time—with the participation of all member states in a formal session.
This development is part of a campaign of political harassment and intimidation orchestrated by Washington, aimed at preventing the international community from maintaining its long-standing support for Cuba at the UN when the matter comes up on October 27th and 28th.
"The U.S. government knows full well that the vast majority of countries will once again support our demand, because Cuba is not a threat—the blockade is," affirmed Soberón.