On Thursday, Italians marched through the streets of Rome to reject the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and express their support for the Cuban Revolution.
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The Rete dei Comunisti, the Unione Sindacale di Base, Cambiare Rotta, the Opposizione Studentesca d’Alternativa and other progressive political, labor and student organizations led the march under slogans such as “Rubio, Get Out of Rome” and “Cuba Is Not Alone.”
The demonstrators rejected the U.S. blockade against Cuba, which has remained in place for more than six decades, and described Rubio’s presence in Italy as an attempt to legitimize U.S. interference and pressure on sovereign nations.
Italian activists denounced Rubio as an exponent of warmongering and reactionary tendencies that promote conflicts in the Middle East and the application of the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America.
One example of this new imperialist escalation is the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores that took place in January.
The text reads, “People of integrity and justice are demonstrating their rejection of Narco Rubio’s visit in Rome. This is yet another example of how misguided the U.S. government’s threats to Cuba are.” The banner reads, “Rubio, get out of Rome. Cuba is not alone!”
Recently, Marco Papacci, president of the National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship (ANAIC), sent a letter to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demanding that she reject U.S. sanctions against Cuba during Rubio’s visit to Rome.
The ANAIC letter states that the arbitrary sanctions promoted by the U.S. diplomat violate the Cuban people’s human rights by hindering access to basic supplies such as medicines and fuel.
It also denounced the extraterritorial nature of U.S. sanctions, which directly harms Italian interests because the U.S.-led financial intimidation limits European economic sovereignty and unfairly punishes Italian entrepreneurs operating under international law.
Finally, Papacci reminded Meloni that Italy has historically rejected the U.S. blockade against Cuba at the United Nations, a position maintained in keeping with the country’s diplomatic tradition of dialogue and respect for the self-determination of peoples.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
