Cuba Prepares for Hurricane Melissa

According to Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, the State Department has sent two threatening letters to several governments in the days leading up to the annual UN vote to condemn the embargo on Cuba.

TRANSCRIPT

“I will present irrefutable evidence of a campaign by the U.S. State Department to coerce various governments to alter their official statements or their votes at the United Nations General Assembly,” said Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“They have sent threatening letters to many countries, tying those countries’ votes on the UN resolution to condemn the embargo to issues that have nothing to do with it,” explained the foreign minister. “They’ve linked it to matters such as the relationships that private companies in those countries have with the U.S. economy.”

“It’s blackmail involving trade tariffs and visa restrictions,” he added.

“If you remember,” continued Rodríguez, “Reuters did a story based on State Department documents it accessed. I don’t know if Reuters had the complete text. I’ve got it here in my hand.”

“Here’s the threat,” he said, raising a paper. “‘I urge your government to show clarity, purpose, and ethics by firmly opposing this resolution.’”

“And it ends,” the minister emphasized, “with the most direct threat I’ve seen: ‘I hope you will give full and proper consideration to this letter, which deals with a matter of great importance, in accordance with statutes, regulations, and applicable legal authorities.’”

“What does that phrase mean?” he asked rhetorically. “It means that if a country doesn’t do what the U.S. is urging them to do in this letter, it will be subject to sanctions.”