Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo denounced before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) the impact of the US-imposed embargo on the Cuban people's right to food and food security .
Rodríguez Camejo spoke virtually at the biennial roundtable on Unilateral Coercive Measures, as part of the 60th session of the Human Rights Commission . The meeting discussed the impact of this type of sanctioning action on the right to food and food security.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk ; the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, Alena Douhan; the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri; the Independent Expert on External Debt, Attiya Waris; and representatives of governments and civil society participated.
The vice chancellor noted that U.S. policy toward Cuba caused more than $441 million in damage to the Cuban agri-food sector between March 2023 and February 2024. "This figure not only represents an economic loss, but also reflects the human impact of a policy that threatens the food security of our population," she asserted.
Extraterritorial pressure measures prevent the acquisition of fertilizers, agricultural machinery, fuels, chemicals, and technologies essential for food production. The blockade hampers access to financing for agricultural development programs, rural infrastructure modernization, and climate change adaptation.
"For more than six decades, the Cuban people have faced the consequences of a strict economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government , which has been intensified in recent years with new pressure measures, extraterritorial actions, and financial restrictions," the vice chancellor said.
This policy constitutes a massive, flagrant, and systematic violation of the Cuban people's human rights and affects national food security by limiting access to supplies, technologies, financing, and international cooperation. The blockade disrupts the arrival of supplies already paid for, impacting the availability of basic products such as rice, beans, powdered milk, cooking oil, meat, bread, and coffee.
The intimidating effects of the anti-Cuban policy reached the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2024, when it attempted to purchase tractors for small Cuban producers for $1.5 million, but the manufacturer refused due to US coercion.
The embargo restricts Cuba's access to multilateral financing for agricultural development, rural infrastructure modernization, and climate resilience. This limitation affects the Cuban state's ability to guarantee an adequate standard of living in the face of global crises, economic volatility, and environmental challenges. To address these effects, the country is investing in international collaboration for the development of agricultural and food industry projects.
Unilateral coercive measures such as those imposed by the White House against Cuba violate international law, the principle of non-interference, and the purposes of the United Nations Charter.
In January 2024 , Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan described the blockade as a serious violation of the human rights of the Cuban people, including the right to life , in a communication sent to the United States Government.
Despite the adversities, the Cuban government is implementing efforts to guarantee equitable access to food and protect vulnerable sectors. The Food Sovereignty and Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) Law, approved in 2022, is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The National Economic and Social Development Plan through 2030 promotes local production.
The urban, suburban, and family agriculture program was revitalized for municipal self-sufficiency. In collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP), Cuba is strengthening maternal and child nutrition, school feeding, and care for the elderly. The WFP supports the Municipal Self-Sufficiency Program, the Plan for the Prevention and Control of Anemia, and the "Vida" Task , which addresses the impacts of climate change on food security.
In this context, Cuba reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional end to the blockade. "This demand is not only a matter of justice for the Cuban people: it is an ethical, legal, and humanitarian requirement that challenges the credibility of the international system for the protection of human rights," stated Rodríguez Camejo.
She added that the Human Rights Commission should promote events like this panel to highlight the impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights. " Cuba will continue to defend its right to live without a blockade, to produce its own food, and to build a fair, sustainable, and supportive development model," the diplomat concluded.
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Cuba denounces the impact of the blockade on the right to food before the UN
https://www.telesurtv.net/cuba-denuncia-onu-bloqueo-alimentacion/Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo denounced before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) the impact of the US-imposed embargo on the Cuban people's right to food and food security .
Rodríguez Camejo spoke virtually at the biennial roundtable on Unilateral Coercive Measures, as part of the 60th session of the Human Rights Commission . The meeting discussed the impact of this type of sanctioning action on the right to food and food security.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk ; the Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures, Alena Douhan; the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri; the Independent Expert on External Debt, Attiya Waris; and representatives of governments and civil society participated.
The vice chancellor noted that U.S. policy toward Cuba caused more than $441 million in damage to the Cuban agri-food sector between March 2023 and February 2024. "This figure not only represents an economic loss, but also reflects the human impact of a policy that threatens the food security of our population," she asserted.
Extraterritorial pressure measures prevent the acquisition of fertilizers, agricultural machinery, fuels, chemicals, and technologies essential for food production. The blockade hampers access to financing for agricultural development programs, rural infrastructure modernization, and climate change adaptation.
"For more than six decades, the Cuban people have faced the consequences of a strict economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government , which has been intensified in recent years with new pressure measures, extraterritorial actions, and financial restrictions," the vice chancellor said.
This policy constitutes a massive, flagrant, and systematic violation of the Cuban people's human rights and affects national food security by limiting access to supplies, technologies, financing, and international cooperation. The blockade disrupts the arrival of supplies already paid for, impacting the availability of basic products such as rice, beans, powdered milk, cooking oil, meat, bread, and coffee.
The intimidating effects of the anti-Cuban policy reached the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2024, when it attempted to purchase tractors for small Cuban producers for $1.5 million, but the manufacturer refused due to US coercion.
The embargo restricts Cuba's access to multilateral financing for agricultural development, rural infrastructure modernization, and climate resilience. This limitation affects the Cuban state's ability to guarantee an adequate standard of living in the face of global crises, economic volatility, and environmental challenges. To address these effects, the country is investing in international collaboration for the development of agricultural and food industry projects.
Unilateral coercive measures such as those imposed by the White House against Cuba violate international law, the principle of non-interference, and the purposes of the United Nations Charter.
In January 2024 , Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan described the blockade as a serious violation of the human rights of the Cuban people, including the right to life , in a communication sent to the United States Government.
Despite the adversities, the Cuban government is implementing efforts to guarantee equitable access to food and protect vulnerable sectors. The Food Sovereignty and Food and Nutrition Security (SAN) Law, approved in 2022, is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The National Economic and Social Development Plan through 2030 promotes local production.
The urban, suburban, and family agriculture program was revitalized for municipal self-sufficiency. In collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP), Cuba is strengthening maternal and child nutrition, school feeding, and care for the elderly. The WFP supports the Municipal Self-Sufficiency Program, the Plan for the Prevention and Control of Anemia, and the "Vida" Task , which addresses the impacts of climate change on food security.
In this context, Cuba reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional end to the blockade. "This demand is not only a matter of justice for the Cuban people: it is an ethical, legal, and humanitarian requirement that challenges the credibility of the international system for the protection of human rights," stated Rodríguez Camejo.
She added that the Human Rights Commission should promote events like this panel to highlight the impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights. " Cuba will continue to defend its right to live without a blockade, to produce its own food, and to build a fair, sustainable, and supportive development model," the diplomat concluded.