Cuban Foreign Minister's Truth-Telling UN Address

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

America has been hostile to Cuba since its 1950s revolution, replacing mafia-infested despotism with responsible rule.

Hardliners in Washington want it transformed back to its former status. Trump slammed the door on improved relations, hardening the decades-old illegal embargo, restricting money flows the state, prohibiting tourism, Americans only permitted to deal with the Cuban people, not its government.

The country has been free from US tyranny since its sweeping revolutionary change, not about to surrender its sovereignty at any price, especially with neocons running things in Washington.

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque represented his country at the UN's 72nd session, delivering an impassioned address.

He criticized global south countries for "fall(ing) prey to unacceptable acts of aggression by the ever-powerful – which are essentially driven by the insatiable hunger for strategic resources." 

"The wars of conquest and the proclamation and implementation of doctrines based on pre-emptive wars, which do not exclude the use of nuclear weapons even against non-nuclear states, and the repeated use of pretexts such as the alleged war on terror, the much-trumpeted promotion of democracy, or so-called regime change in countries that are unilaterally labeled as rogue states, are today the greatest and most serious threat to peace and security in the world."

His comments were directed at Washington and its imperial allies, smashing independent countries, flagrantly violating international law, falsely claiming humanitarian intervention and democracy building.

The world's "mightiest military superpower" wants its will forcibly imposed on all other nations, naked aggression its favored strategy.

When sovereign independent countries defend themselves, they're "accused of being…rogue state(s)." Combating "foreign aggression" is called "terroris(m)."

"Instead of moving towards general and complete disarmament, including nuclear disarmament, which has been an ongoing demand of the Non-Aligned Movement for decades, we bear witness to the promotion of the arms race and to the squandering of wealth on new weapons and arms systems that deplete (world) resources," said Roque.

In his October 1979 General Assembly address, the late Fidel Castro said "(l)et us bid farewell to arms, and let us concentrate, in a civilized manner, on the most pressing problems of our time." 

"That is the responsibility and the most sacred duty of all statesmen in the world. That is also the indispensable tenet of human survival." 

Nearly four decades later, an arms race continues. America's rage for unchallenged power risks catastrophic nuclear war.

Billions of people worldwide suffer impoverishment, hundreds of millions ill-fed and ill-nourished, countless numbers with untreated diseases, over a billion without access to clean drinking water, millions enduring violence, chaos and deprivation from endless US imperial wars.

"Is that the world that they want us to accept? Is that…the future that we should settle for? Are we entitled or not to fight in order to change that state of things? Should we or should we not fight so that a better world can be possible," Roque asked?

He blasted Trump's deplorable address, the day before his own, its arrogance, foul language and threats, an unacceptable militant display.

"Cuba rejects and condemns (his) devious words." Cuba will continue working for a "just and democratic international order" in a world at peace, Roque stressed.

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