It said the policy which frowned on the diplomatic relations between US and Cuba had retarded Cuba’s economic development and led to increasing suffering of the people.

Mr Pedro Luis Despaigne Gonzalez, the Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, addressing a press conference in Accra re-echoed Cuba’s report on Resolution 71/5 of the United Nations General Assembly.

The report which is titled, ‘Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba’, seeks to address the negative impacts of the blockade policy on Cuba.

It indicated that US President Donald Trump on June 16, 2017, signed a national security presidential memorandum on strengthening the policy of the United States towards Cuba and that his directive according to the report would tighten the blockade and make public health, food industry and agriculture, education, travelling and trade very difficult for the people of Cuba.

He said the report stated that President Trump had failed to adopt the derogated Presidential Policy Directive ‘United States-Cuba Normalisation’ issued by President Barack Obama on October 14, 2016, which recognised that the blockade was an obsolete policy which would be lifted.

“The US Treasury Department on March 15, 2016, stating that Cuba would be allowed to use US dollars in its international transactions and that US banks would be allowed to grant credits to Cuban importers for the purchase of authorised US products, so far Cuba has not been able to carry out any significant international operation in this currency,” the report said.

Mr. Gonzalez said the current US President has increased coercive measures against Cuba adding that, “he has modified the implementation of some aspects of the blockade in the areas of travelling and trade”.

He said the blockade which was imposed on them for more than 50 years constituted a massive, flagrant, and systematic violation of the human rights of the Cuban people saying “it is unjust and should be stopped immediately”.

The Cuba Ambassador further stated that President Trump had proclaimed that US would oppose all demands in favour of the lifting of the blockade at the United Nations and other international fora, irrespective of the views expressed by the international community and the public opinion of broad sectors of the US society.

He bemoaned that foreign companies fear to have commercial relations with Cuba, stressing that the blockade has become an obstacle to the implementation of the National Economic and Social Development Plan of the country.

“The blockade generated greater distrust and uncertainty among financial institutions and even among US suppliers due to fears and a real risk of being penalised for having relations with Cuba,” he said.