Latin American Group Demands End of US Blockade against Cuba CUBA, March 27, 2010. - The 27 member countries of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA, Spanish acronyms), meeting in Venezuela, demanded the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade maintained by the United Stated against Cuba for nearly 50 years. At the end of the regional conference about trade relations with the United States in the first year of Barack Obama’s term, SELA claimed the need to eliminate the measure issued in 1962 by John F. Kennedy and maintained by all nine following administrations. Nicaragua’s ambassador to Caracas, Ramon Leets told Prensa Latina that lifting the blockade was a matter of humanity and principles. SELA’s permanent secretary Jose Rivera told the press that as long as certain countries are marginalized by others, there will be no full progress in economic relations. Lifting the blockade is an indispensable condition to guarantee wide bonds with Washington, as long as the American measure is enforced there will be a pending issue in the region, Rivera said in the forum held in Torre Europa. The regional organization, founded in 1975, also expressed support of Bolivia by denouncing the politicization, conditions and impositions set by the American government regarding bilateral trade. The White House excluded La Paz from the tariff benefits of the Law for Andean Comercial Promotion and Drug Eradication tin 2009. (Cubaminrex - acn) |