Congress members Delia Ram\u00edrez, Pramyla Jayapal, Jonathan Jackson, and Rho Khana joined together in front of the Capitol to call for an end to the US blockade against Cuba, a policy they described as inexcusable and cruel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The four congress members, all members of the House of Representatives, reiterated their opposition to the current policies of the Donald Trump administration against the island nation during a press conference titled \u201cDemanding an End to the Blockade Against Cuba and International Medical Solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are here to demand that we end the blockade against Cuba, that we end the sanctions, and that we end the siege against the Cuban people,\u201d said Ram\u00edrez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She recalled that, for more than 200 years, the United States has used the Monroe Doctrine to justify a detrimental approach to relations \u201cwith our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrough military interventions or sanctions\u2026from Monroe to Trump, our legacy throughout the Western Hemisphere has been one of pain, destruction, and mistrust,\u201d the Illinois representative noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Congress considers allocating another $1.15 trillion in additional funding for wars, death, and destruction, we stand united with healthcare workers and nurses, saying: people and peace over war, she stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For her part, Pramila Jayapal, representative for Seattle (Washington state), denounced the terrible effects of the blockade and \u201cthe injustice of the policy that the United States has maintained for decades toward Cuba,\u201d which has functioned as a \u201ccollective punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis latest element of the fuel blockade is incredibly cruel, unjust, and illegal,\u201d Jayapal insisted, asserting that \u201cit is, in effect, an economic bombardment of Cuban infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reporting on his recent trip to Cuba\u2014his second\u2014he said, \u201cI was there about two years ago, when the situation was already difficult, but this represented another level of collective punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRepresentative Jackson and I were there just days after the first oil tanker arrived in Cuba following three months of a complete lack of fuel,\u201d Jayapal stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recounted seeing \u201ca room full of medical equipment completely unusable because power fluctuations had burned out its electrical components. And due to the sanctions and the blockade, Cuba cannot acquire the spare parts to repair them. \u201cI have never witnessed anything so incredibly cruel,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jayapal stated that before this happened, and despite all the difficulties, Cuba had done admirable work in preventing maternal and neonatal mortality, cancer, and so many other areas \u201cin which we in the United States are still struggling to make progress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He lamented the effects of Washington\u2019s unilateral blockade. \u201cWe are faced with a healthcare system in crisis due to the policies and actions of the United States,\u201d he declared, reiterating that \u201cthe only way out is diplomacy and a negotiated agreement that guarantees the freedom, dignity, and self-determination of the Cuban people to be fully masters of their own destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In turn, Jackson supported Jayapal. \u201cWhat we saw was pure cruelty,\u201d he added, specifying that \u201cthis is not simply a \u201cThe blockade is an act of war. When you use the United States Navy to surround a nation and cut off its vital supplies, that constitutes an act of war.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are millions of people \u201csuffering on that island, deprived of medical care, access to medicine, and medical equipment. We simply say: stop the cruelty, stop the war against the Cuban people,\u201d demanded the Illinois representative, son of the late civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Representative Ro Khanna of California acknowledged that Jayapal and Jackson \u201chad the courage to travel to Cuba a couple of months ago to witness the suffering firsthand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Upon their return, he noted, \u201cthey shared the terrible humanitarian situation with many of us, raising awareness of this issue in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Khanna, \u201cthis is not simply about a lack of humanity toward Cuba.\u201d \u201cWe are blocking fuel, which is causing deaths, preventing people from receiving medical care, and cutting off access to basic services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The conference was convened by National Nurses United, the largest registered nurses union in the United States, and joined by Global Health Partners, an organization working to supply the island with essential medical equ<\/p>\n\n\n\n
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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