US Blockade Hinders International Cooperation in Cuba

The economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba for more than half a century affects the cooperation that the island is developing with several countries, including the northern nation.

Washington’s siege against the island involves numerous barriers and obstacles to international cooperation in various sectors throughout the Caribbean country, as noted in the report: “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”

One of the cases exposed in this report, released by the Cuban Foreign Ministry, occurred in March this year, when scientists from several universities in Florida said that the blockade had hindered their maritime research, preventing them from traveling to the island to exchange with their Cuban counterparts.

As noted by one of the scientists, the purpose was to collaborate with Cuban colleagues in a study that could improve the conditions of coral reefs, to prevent over-fishing and to generate a greater understanding of the ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.

Another victim of the hostile White House policy was the Professor at the University of Illinois, Victor Margolin, who was unable to attend the Seventh International Meeting of Design Form 2013, in Havana, receiving no response to his request to the Treasury Department for permission to travel to Cuba.

Additional actions were uncovered in early 2014 by the San Francisco Bay View newspaper which reported on investigations of the Internal Revenue Service against the “Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization” NGO.

This solidarity group, which was led by the Reverend Lucius Walker until his death in 2010, organized medical school programs for young Americans to study in Cuba.

Also in the field of public health, the text noted that in 2014 the Cuban Medical Brigade in Gabon was unable to transfer $370,000 dollars to the island, due to the BNP PARIBAS Bank’s refusal to process corresponding transfers, as it was under threat of being fined by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States.