A Moral Message … for Washington

Published in Juventud Rebelde
(Cuba) on 1 November 2018
by Marina Menendez Quintero (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Tom Walker. Edited by Arielle Eirienne.
Donald Trump’s arrogance, triggered by manipulation and injustice, has been chastised by a vote in the UN General Assembly. That body previously was solidly in the corner of the United States, and its adoptive son Israel, in their aggression against Cuba. This time, there were not even any abstentions, and 189 countries threw their support behind the island.

The blockade is genocidal, antiquated, unjust … But Washington’s frustrated attempt to undermine Cuba’s resolution demanding an end to the blockade and turning it into a boomerang that could come back and attack the island, thus justifying the policy, was a cynical ploy. This could only happen in an administration blind in its ignorance and its supremacist zeal.

The repeated pattern of votes in which the eight deceitful amendments were defeated, one by one, revealed the U.S. isolation in advance. Time after time, only three countries voted for them, about 65 or 66 abstained, and 114 member states voted against them.

In this way, the brazen attempt of the U.S. was frustrated, not only in seeking support for the blockade with “new” arguments—they typically argue that the matter is bilateral, even though it involves aggression against third parties—but in accusing Cuba of alleged human rights violations while seeking that support.

It was a totally despicable plan, unprecedented in that they were offering their own amendments. A blunt instrument, and out of touch with the realities of the planet. As if the world didn’t know us!

The repeated votes on their misleading amendments could have provoked fatigue in the members of the General Assembly before a decision was reached on the Cuban resolution. But this did not work for the United States either.

… Because there is something about this vote that must be emphasized: the pressures the envoys from Washington brought to bear in their attempt to distort their positions, in the plenary session itself and on the day before, when the question was introduced, were not effective either.

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (now headed toward retirement) was once again stuck in the mire created by her boss, President Trump. Since Wednesday, even her messages on Twitter have been pleading for others to join in the scheme.

But what happened was just the opposite. The U.S. call to join in its scheme, and by extension, to support the blockade, has been an exercise in futility. It was defeated not only by the vote but also by the more than thirty ambassadors, who, on behalf of their nations or of broad groups of countries, publicly and openly rejected it from the podium. They denounced the blockade for the twenty-seventh time as being an insupportable policy, inhumane toward the Cubans and disrespectful to the world because of its ramifications for other countries beside the U.S. and Cuba.

The main factors in the Cuban triumph have been the endurance and dignity of its people and the respect earned by a country for which, as Fidel Castro taught, the commitment to the truth takes precedence, on and off the island.

Cuban Chancellor Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla spoke truthfully when he addressed the world from New York. It was out of the question for the world to succumb to the lies!

This time, even those that in other situations might give in to the Yankee arm-twisting were not inclined to join in their clumsy and brazen deceit.

Washington, and specifically the tin-pot dictator Trump, should learn a lesson from this latest defeat, which in fact, as Ambassador Haley wanted, delivered a moral message … to their own administration: a call for more sanity and more modesty.


Un mensaje moral… para Washington

La prepotencia de Donald Trump, cebada en la manipulación y la injusticia, ha sido castigada con una votación en la Asamblea General de la ONU que otra vez dejó arrinconado a Estados Unidos con su hijo adoptivo Israel en su agresión contra Cuba. Esta vez, ni siquiera hubo abstenciones, y 189 países dieron su respaldo a la Isla.

El bloqueo es genocida, obsoleto, injusto… Pero la frustrada intención de Washington de envenenar la Resolución cubana que demandó su fin, convertirla en un boomerang que agrediera a la Isla y justificara esa política, era una descarada burla al mundo que solo se le podía ocurrir a una administración ciega en su ignorancia y su afán supremacista.

El reiterado patrón de votación que derrotó las ocho mentirosas enmiendas, una a una, exhibió de antemano la soledad estadounidense. Una y otra vez, solo tres países votaban por ellas, un entorno de 65-66 se abstenía, y la rechazaban 114 Estados.

Se frustró así el desvergonzado intento de EE.UU. no ya de buscar apoyo al bloqueo con «otros» argumentos —habitualmente aducen que el asunto es «bilateral» aunque agrede a terceros—, sino de hacerlo señalando a Cuba como presunta violadora de los derechos humanos.

Era un plan demasiado abyecto dentro del contexto inédito creado por la presentación de las propias enmiendas. Demasiado burdo y desconectado de la realidad del planeta. ¡Cómo si el mundo no nos conociera!

Tampoco le funcionó a Estados Unidos el cansancio que las votaciones repetidas de sus falaces textos, pudo haber provocado en los miembros de la Asamblea General antes de pronunciarse sobre la Resolución cubana.

…Porque algo debería subrayarse de esta votación: tampoco fueron eficaces las presiones con que, dentro del mismo plenario y ya abierto el tema desde la víspera, los enviados de Washington intentaron torcer sus posturas.

Incluso, mensajes enviados mediante la red social Twitter por la embajadora en gestiones de retiro Nikki Halley —otra vez enrolada en los lodos creados por su presidente Trump— rogaban desde el miércoles a los otros, sumarse a la artimaña.

Pero ocurrió lo contrario. El emplazamiento de Estados Unidos a la comunidad internacional para que le acompañara en su estratagema y, consiguientemente, respaldara el bloqueo, ha sido un ejercicio de fuerza derrotado no solo por el voto, sino por las más de tres decenas de embajadores que, a nombre de sus naciones o de amplios grupos de países, la rechazaron pública ya abiertamente desde el podio, y denunciaron por 27ma vez al bloqueo como una política insoportable por su carácter inhumano para con los cubanos, irrespetuoso con el mundo en su extraterritorialidad.

Las armas principales del triunfo cubano han sido la resistencia y la dignidad de su pueblo, y el respeto ganado por un país que, como le enseñó Fidel, antepone, dentro y fuera de la Isla, el ejercicio de la verdad.

Con ella en la mano habló al mundo desde Nueva York el canciller Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. ¡Era imposible que el planeta sucumbiera a las mentiras!

Ni siquiera quienes en otros contextos quizá flaquearan por las torceduras de brazo yanquis, estuvieron dispuestos a enrolarse, esta vez, en su burda y descarada engañifa.

Washington y, concretamente, el emperador de pacotilla Donald Trump, debían sacar lecciones de esta nueva batalla perdida, que dejó un mensaje moral, en efecto, como quería la embajadora Halley: un mensaje de más cordura y más modestia… a su propia administración.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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