US blockade has cost Cuba over $933 billion

Campaign News | Friday, 31 August 2018

Cuba has sent its annual report to the United Nations General Assembly in advance of their resolution to end the US blockade of Cuba for the 27th consecutive year. The report states that the total cost of the US blockade is now over £933 billion dollars.*

In the 12 month period of the report (April 2017 – 2018), the blockade has caused losses to Cuba over $4.3 billion dollars. The impact of the blockade has been further intensified in the period of the report, due to the new measures introduced by US President Donald Trump in June 2017 which tightened the nearly six decade old blockade.

The report outlines in detail the brutal impact of the blockade in Cuba, including its effects on health, education, food, sport, culture and development. The extraterritorial impact of the blockade around the world is also analysed, including several examples where the blockade impacts Britain.

The example of the Open University ban on Cuban students is included in the report – a case that CSC led a victorious campaign to overturn the ban.

The impact of the blockade on special needs schools is also included, with the example of Cuba being unable to purchase Braille machines as they are manufactured and sold in the United States. CSC and the National Education Union (NUT Section) have worked together on a campaign to help beat the US blockade by taking over dozens of Braille machines to be used in special needs schools on the island.

The United Nations general assembly will vote on Resolution 72/4 entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” on Wednesday 31 October.

In 2017, 191 countries voted in favour of the resolution, with only the United States and Israel voting against. The same result is likely in the 2018 vote.

Please join CSC today and help campaign to end the US blockade.

*The report (p4) states: “The accumulated harm because of the blockade being applied for almost six decades reaches the figure of $ 933,678,000,000 dollars taking into account the depreciation of the dollar as compared to the price of gold on the international market. At today’s prices, the blockade has caused damages that can be calculated at over $ 134,499,800,000.

Download the full report here