A Moral Message … for Washington

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.