UN human rights rapporteur calls on United States to lift sanctions on Cuba
A United Nations human rights official is urging the United States to lift its sanctions on Cuba, saying they affect the entire population of the island, hitting sectors such as health, nutrition and education.
HAVANA — A United Nations human rights expert on Friday urged the United States to lift its sanctions against Cuba, saying they affect the entire population of the island, including health care, nutrition and education.
Alena Douhan, special rapporteur for the United Nations Human Rights Council, said this was her second visit to Cuba – the first was in 2023 – and that she had observed further deterioration in all sectors due to the stricter measures imposed by Washington.
“For low-income communities, higher inflation as well as resource scarcity make it very difficult to even access adequate food,” she said, calling on the United States to stop using sanctions and “maximum pressure constraints.”
At the end of October, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned the American economic embargo against Cuba for a 33rd year.
Cuba has been grappling with an economic and energy crisis since 2020. Its gross domestic product has declined and its 10 million residents have endured power outages, food shortages and inflation. Cuban officials have blamed the economic crisis on COVID shutdowns, tougher U.S. sanctions and other factors.
“As we talk about children as a very vulnerable group, the fact that these children are not receiving enough meals means that educational and cultural programs and participation in any child development activities are significantly reduced” because there are no resources to do so, she said.
Douhan said Cubans were affected by a shortage of medicines.
“As I indicated in my report, 69% of the medicines needed by the Cuban population are not available, which is why we are seeing an increase in the mortality rate,” she said.
The embargo was imposed in 1960 after Fidel Castro led a revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista and nationalized property owned by American citizens and businesses.
In 2016, Cuban President Raul Castro and President Barack Obama officially restored relations. That year, the United States abstained, for the first time, on the General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the embargo.
Obama’s successor, Donald Trump, sharply criticized Cuba’s human rights record. The United States voted against the resolution again in 2017 and since.
Sanctions increased significantly during Trump’s first term, continued under his successor, President Joe Biden, and were strengthened again after Trump returned to power this year.
