Global Biz

    Cuba says US embargo has toughened under Obama

    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2010-09-16 09:21
    Large Medium Small

    HAVANA - The US trade embargo against Cuba has gotten tougher under US President Barack Obama, not more lenient as many had expected when he took office, a top Cuban official said on Wednesday.

    Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, in the Cuban government's annual update on the 48-year-old embargo, said the United States is levying bigger fines, applying sanctions more firmly and pursuing embargo-busting financial transactions more vigorously under Obama.

    Related readings:
    Cuba says US embargo has toughened under Obama Cuban leader sees no improvement in Cuba-US relations
    Cuba says US embargo has toughened under Obama Fidel Castro says US magazine misinterpreted his words

    "The embargo policy in the last two years, which is to say under the government of President Obama, has not changed at all," Rodriguez said in a press conference. "In some aspects, it has even hardened."

    In terms of US policy toward Cuba, Obama had performed "below expectations that had been created in the international community and American public opinion," Rodriguez said.

    Rodriguez said the embargo has cost Cuba $751 billion over the years, adjusted for inflation and the changing value of the dollar.

    "It is, without any doubt, the primary obstacle to the economic development of our country," he said.

    The United Nations is scheduled to hold its annual vote on a resolution condemning the embargo on October 26. Last year, only three countries - the United States, Israel and Palau - voted against the measure.

    The embargo, said Rodriguez, "is a museum piece of the Cold War. It is, moreover, a failed policy."

    The embargo was fully imposed in 1962, with the aim of toppling the Cuban?government put in place by Fidel Castro after he took power in a 1959 revolution.

    The embargo prohibits most trade with Cuba, with exceptions for agricultural products and medicine.

    Obama spoke early on of improving relations with Cuba, but insisted the embargo - which Cuba calls a "blockade" - would stay in place until the Caribbean island improved its human rights and released political prisoners.

    He has eased the embargo slightly by removing restrictions on Cuban Americans traveling to the island and the amount of money they can send to their family members in Cuba.

    There has been more leniency, too, in granting of licenses for visits by US performers and academics, but progress has stalled since Cuba detained a US contractor in December on suspicion of espionage.

    The contractor, Alan Gross, remains behind bars in Cuba, without formal charges. The US says he was not a spy, but was in Cuba installing Internet services for Jewish groups.

    Rodriguez was questioned about Gross, but he responded only that the embargo is a unilateral act by the US and must be lifted immediately and without conditions.

    无码国产精品一区二区免费模式| a最新无码国产在线视频| 大学生无码视频在线观看| 久久亚洲2019中文字幕| 国产a级理论片无码老男人| 蜜桃臀AV高潮无码| 亚洲av无码成人精品国产| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区久久久| 日本乱中文字幕系列| 免费无遮挡无码视频在线观看| 无码午夜人妻一区二区三区不卡视频| 无码中文字幕乱在线观看| 中文字幕无码免费久久| 国产V亚洲V天堂无码| 亚洲国产精品无码成人片久久| 精品久久久久久久中文字幕| 西西4444www大胆无码| 老司机亚洲精品影院无码| 人妻丰满熟妇aⅴ无码| 中文字幕一区二区精品区| 影院无码人妻精品一区二区| A级毛片无码久久精品免费| 天堂在/线中文在线资源官网| 无码欧精品亚洲日韩一区夜夜嗨| 久久精品中文字幕无码绿巨人 | 免费无码H肉动漫在线观看麻豆 | 久久精品中文无码资源站| 亚洲成A人片在线观看无码3D| 变态SM天堂无码专区| 精品欧洲av无码一区二区| 无码国产精品一区二区免费模式| 最新国产精品无码| 自慰无码一区二区三区| 中文人妻无码一区二区三区| 无码人妻精品一区二区三区99性 | 7国产欧美日韩综合天堂中文久久久久| 中文文字幕文字幕亚洲色| 无码毛片一区二区三区中文字幕 | 国产a v无码专区亚洲av| 2019亚洲午夜无码天堂| AV成人午夜无码一区二区|