YouSaid · the spoken record

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla

lines on the record

86

first

2009-09-24

most recent

2014-09-24

sittings or episodes

5

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un-general-debate

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1. “Updating Cuban’s economic socialist model is aimed at ensuring well-being, equity and social justice for all Cubans. The changes that we are introducing are also geared to preserving the achievements of the Revolution, which so many generations have fought for. The goal is to build an ever more just, prosperous and sustainable Cuban socialism.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

2. “We cannot fail to remember that this month marks the sixteenth year of the unjust imprisonment of three Cubans from the Cuban Five — Gerardo, Ramón and Antonio — who with the utmost altruism confronted the terrorist plans organized within United States territory against our country. I therefore reiterate, on behalf of the people and Government of Cuba, that we will not cease in our efforts to call for their return to their homeland. Cuba, for its part, remains calm and prepared for mutually respectful and responsible dialogue, based on reciprocity, with the United States Government. At the same time, Cuba continues to make progress in the updating of its socioeconomic model, despite adverse international circumstances marked by a global economic crisis and the tightening of the blockade.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

3. “The ZunZuneo project, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which not only violates Cuban law but also the law of its own country, is the latest evidence of that. Recent disclosures about the use of young people from our continent in subversive actions in Cuba, a project funded and executed by USAID, confirm that the Cuban Government is right in its countless denunciations of the ongoing illegal plans of the United States to subvert Cuba’s internal order, in violation of Cuban sovereignty, the sovereignty of third countries and international law.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

4. “Its real purpose is to increase scrutiny of our international financial transactions worldwide and justify the policy of blockade. During the current Administration, there has been a tightening of the extraterritorial dimension of the blockade, with a strong and unprecedented emphasis in the financial realm, through the imposition of huge fines on banking institutions in third-party countries. An example of this is the scandalous and unjust mega-fine imposed on the French bank BNP Paribas. Furthermore, the current Administration has not stepped back from promoting destabilization in Cuba. It allocates millions of dollars to that end in its budget every year and increasingly relies on undercover methods, such as the use of information and communications technology.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

5. “On the eve of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), we would recall that this year we celebrate the 210th anniversary of the independence of Haiti, whose anti-slavery and pro- independence revolution was the precursor of liberation movements in Latin America and the Caribbean. Haiti deserves special contributions for its reconstruction and development, under the sovereign leadership of its Government, in which we encourage the international community to participate. We support the claim of the Caribbean to receive reparations from the colonial Powers for the horrors of slavery. The State Department has again put Cuba on its unilateral and arbitrary list of State sponsors of international terrorism.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

6. “We express our solidarity with the Bolivarian and Chavista revolution, which, under the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, is battling to fend off destabilizing actions and foreign interference. We support the worthy fight being waged by Argentina against speculative capital funds, and we oppose the interventionist decisions of the United States courts that are violating international law. In addition, we reiterate our strong support for the legitimate rights of Argentina with respect to the Malvinas Islands. We also reiterate our unwavering support for the fight that Ecuador is leading against the ecological pillaging and damage caused by the activities of transnational companies.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

7. “In that effort, there have been significant developments — the meeting between the Union of South American Nations and Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa (BRICS); the meeting between the leaders of China and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean; and the establishment of the China- CELAC Forum in Brasilia in July, as had been agreed in Havana. We welcome the Fortaleza Declaration, also adopted in July in Brazil, at the sixth summit of the BRICS countries — whose economies account for 25 per cent of world gross domestic product and almost 40 per cent of the population of the planet — as well as the setting up of a development bank and a foreign exchange reserves common fund, which are important for the countries of the South and for the construction of a new international financial architecture.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

8. “The Havana summit recognized that the current economic, financial and environmental crises have delivered particularly harsh blows to small island developing States, including the nations of the Caribbean. Their efforts to improve the welfare of their populations should not be punished by calling them middle-income countries through schematic calculations of per capita income, without taking into account their specificities and vulnerabilities. In CELAC, the region of Latin America and the Caribbean has found a native and legitimate space to forge from its rich diversity the essential unity to fulfil the dreams of our heroes, achieve the complete independence of “Our America” and make a substantial contribution to creating balance in the world.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

9. “It is indispensable that there be a better distribution of wealth and income, the eradication of illiteracy, quality education for all, real food security, health systems with universal coverage, and the fulfilment of other human rights. The solemn Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, signed by the Heads of State and Government, enshrines respect for the principles and norms of international law, the promotion of a culture of peace, nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, and the inalienable right of every State to choose its political, economic and social system. We also undertook to make Latin America and the Caribbean a region free from colonialism and expressed support for the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence.”

   2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

10. “In the past five decades, 325,000 Cuban health workers have assisted 158 nations of the South, including 39 African countries, where 76,000 have worked. Also, 38,000 physicians were trained free of charge in 121 countries; of those, 3,392 were in 45 African nations. If Cuba, small and subject to a blockade, has been able to do that, how much more could have been done for Africa with the cooperation of all, especially of the richest States? At the second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in Havana, we agreed on what is needed to achieve the goal of making societies more just and inclusive.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

11. “Cuba has decided to maintain its medical cooperation in the 32 African countries where more than 4,000 specialists are working and is willing to extend its cooperation, under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), to other, most affected countries, as has been reported. Our doctors and paramedics will do so completely voluntarily. We call on the international community, particularly industrialized countries with substantial means, to forcefully respond to the call of the United Nations and WHO to supply financial, health and scientific resources right away in order to eradicate the scourge and prevent it from claiming more lives. The necessary resources should also be contributed to support the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which sets forth the road map for the development of the region.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

12. “The unequal distribution of wealth is increasingly ruthless. It is necessary, inevitably, to establish a new international economic order. In these circumstances, the discussions on the post-2015 development agenda give us little reason to hope. However, we must try to reach agreement, as that is the most urgent task. It must be the result of an inclusive intergovernmental negotiation. The resulting document should not be the interpretation of a few parties to the consensus, but rather of the consensus itself. It is urgent to make sub-Saharan Africa a priority. It is essential to confront jointly and decisively, with sufficient and genuine cooperation, the Ebola epidemic that is affecting some countries of the continent.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

13. “It should be built on credibility and strict observance of the Charter, without double standards, obscure procedures or the anachronistic veto. The Organization needs profound reform and the defence of its principles. The Secretary-General should be the defender and guarantor of international peace. The 1.2 billion people who live in extreme poverty, the 842 million people who suffer chronic hunger, the 774 million illiterate adults and the 57 million uneducated children affirm that the Millennium Development Goals — which are questionable from a methodological point of view — were a mirage. There has been and still is a lack of political will in the Governments of industrialized States, where blindness and ineffective selfishness prevail. Insatiable transnational businesses increasingly focus on the ownership of huge resources.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

14. “Israel’s crimes against the Palestinian people, most recently in the Gaza Strip, should not remain unpunished under the protection of a veto in the Security Council. Palestine should already be a State Member of the United Nations, established within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The General Assembly must exercise the prerogatives conferred on it by the Charter of the United Nations in the current dangerous and unstable international situation, which is full of threats and challenges. The Security Council should be rebuilt on the basis of democracy, transparency and the fair representation of the countries of the South, which are discriminated against, as permanent and non-permanent members.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

15. “It is inconceivable that Western Powers encourage, finance and arm terrorist groups to set them against a State, while trying to combat their crimes in another State, as is now happening in Iraq. The United States Government violates international law when it launches, in contempt of the United Nations, unilateral bombings without respect for sovereign borders or States under the guise of dubious coalitions. The attempt to deploy NATO up to Russia’s borders will have serious consequences for international peace and security and for the stability of Europe. The sanctions against Russia are immoral and unjust. The strategic American deployment in the Asia-Pacific region will create dangers for the sovereignty of all nations in the area.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

16. “Governments, by failing to defend their own sovereignty and to apply their own laws so as to protect the standards of the international financial system and the legitimate interests of their nations and those of their companies and citizens, are creating the conditions necessary for the proliferation of such practices, which jeopardize the independence of all States and the rule of international law. Media empires, increasingly linked to the hegemonic goals of the Western Powers, continue their misinformation campaigns, shamelessly and cynically manipulate facts and create public opinion matrices that promote aggression. We need another international order, where there is no room for the philosophy of war and the plundering of natural resources. The foreign intervention in Syria must stop.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

17. “The extraterritorial application of United States laws to the detriment of other sovereign nations is becoming increasingly aggressive and encourages the use of unilateral sanctions, in particular financial sanctions, as a tool of foreign policy. The use of its courts of justice to impose multimillion-dollar fines, including on its allies, under decisions that violate international law, has become a means of punishment and threat and a way to spuriously obtain financial resources.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

18. “As has already been demonstrated, wherever the so-called unconventional warfare described in the 2010 United States Special Forces Army Training Circular 18-01 and the innovations of the 2010 United States Quadrennial Defense Review are practised, chaos ensues through the destabilization or destruction of States, the proliferation of violent and extremist groups and the tearing apart of nations, cultures and religions, thereby seriously jeopardizing regional and international peace and security. It is necessary to condemn the militarization of cyberspace and the illegal and covert interference in the information systems of some countries in order to use them in aggressive actions against third countries to stir up conflict, as well as global espionage on Governments and entire societies.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

19. “We live in a globalized world that is moving towards multipolarity in an age characterized by the threat to the survival of the human species. The United States Government and NATO will not be able to reverse that trend with a new world division through the force of arms. However, there is a serious risk that in trying to do so, they render the world ungovernable. The huge nuclear and conventional arsenals that have been built up, the imposed annual military expenditure that amounts to $1.75 trillion and the increase in military budgets to 2 per cent of the gross domestic product required of all States members of NATO will not help to address or to resolve issues such as poverty, hunger, epidemics or waves of migration or to overcome the global economic, environmental. food, energy and water crises.”

    2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)

20. “With regard to climate change, we welcome the formal adoption of the second phase of commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, despite a lack of political will on the part of a number of developed nations that vetoed agreements on new, additional and predictable resources and on mechanisms for the effective transfer of technologies to developing countries. We will continue to work together to cope with this scourge that affects humankind as a whole today. There are many difficulties, but the important thing is that the countries of Latin American and the Caribbean have come to the conclusion that the time has come for the region, as José Martí said, to walk in close ranks, like silver in the roots of the Andes. That is why we created CELAC.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

21. “We are aware of the challenges that the current international economic and financial crisis poses to the future of our region and our legitimate aspirations to social inclusion, equitable growth with sustainable development, and integration. We therefore emphasize the importance for the post-2015 development agenda to consist of voluntary, universal, clear and quantifiable goals that can be adapted to distinct national realities, with the purpose of eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable development. This new framework should be inclusive and transparent on official development assistance, prompt the developed countries to honour their commitments, and encourage South-South and triangular cooperation on cross-cutting issues through the participation of all sectors of society.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

22. “With regard to the indispensable reform of the international system, we have renewed our countries’ commitment to multilateralism, the comprehensive reform of the United Nations system, and the democratization of international decision-making forums, in particular the Security Council. We shall act accordingly on issues of equal importance, among them the process of formulating the post-2015 development agenda, which is the theme of this general debate and to which all CELAC member countries attach great importance. The members of CELAC know that there can be no lasting peace without development and without combating poverty, hunger and inequality.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

23. “The member States of CELAC are proud of their shared work in consolidating our regional sovereignty so that the Latin America and Caribbean region can occupy its rightful place in the world and renounce its status as the most inequal region on Earth. In pursuing these objectives, we have decided to offer the most vulnerable countries of the region our cooperation and solidarity and to draw attention to the special vulnerabilities of the countries of the Caribbean Community, given their status as small island developing States, which limits their efforts towards sustainable development, especially in light of the significant impact of natural disasters and the negative effects of climate change.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

24. “Similarly, CELAC expressed its satisfaction over the election of Pope Francis as the first High Pontiff of the Catholic Church from the Latin American and Caribbean region. The global espionage against CELAC member countries violates human rights, the right to privacy, the right of citizens to be informed, and the principles of State sovereignty and international law. It has become a source of concern, and we have taken due note of the statements made in various forums by Heads of States and Government and other leaders of Latin American and Caribbean countries who have condemned and rejected the use of such practices.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

25. “Taking into account the diverse processes that have shaped Latin American and Caribbean identity, the Community has also emphasized its intention to become a space that protects the rights to live, thrive and coexist enjoyed by all cultures, races and ethnic groups of the region, as well as the multicultural nature of our peoples and the plurinational character of some of our countries, especially among native communities that are promoting and recreating their historical memory, ancestral knowledge and their experience. Almost seven months after he passed away, CELAC today pays a well-deserved tribute to one of its founding members, President Hugo Chávez Frías, who presided over the founding summit of the Community with his vision and mastery.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

26. “We have defended the sovereignty of the region, including that over our own natural resources, and we have expressed our solidarity with States members of CELAC in the face of harmful acts that violate international law, such as that of 2 July, which threatened the dignity and rights of the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Mr. Evo Morales Ayma, as he returned to La Paz from a visit to a number of European countries.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

27. “It has urged the creation of the conditions necessary for moving towards a negotiated political solution to the Syrian conflict, which has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people. Similarly, CELAC is working to identify independent concepts and mechanisms for cooperation, urging the international community to continue to contribute to the reconstruction and sustainable development of our sister Republic of Haiti, in accordance with the fundamental priorities and needs defined by the Haitian Government and in full respect for its authority and sovereignty and the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of countries.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

28. “We reiterate our absolute condemnation of terrorism and reaffirm our commitment to fighting it in all its forms and manifestations, in keeping with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. However, at the same time, we strongly reject the unilateral and illegitimate assessments, lists and certifications made by some developed countries that affect countries of our region, in particular those referring to terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other similar phenomena. In recent days, as the situation in Syria has deteriorated, CELAC has reiterated its vocation for peace and its observance of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in international law, including international humanitarian law.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

29. “Our Community reiterates its support for the dialogue under way between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, which seeks to end the internal conflict that has affected the political, social and economic development of that sister nation for more than 50 years. We hope that that initiative will succeed in reaching an agreement in the interests of the Colombian people. We would also like to underscore the Latin American and Caribbean character of Puerto Rico and, by taking note of the resolutions on Puerto Rico adopted by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, to emphasize that that issue is a matter of interest to CELAC.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

30. “In addition, CELAC member countries presented for the first time a joint initiative to the Human Rights Council on the right to peace, which we hope will lead to a declaration on that right for adoption by the General Assembly. CELAC has expressed its support in the strongest terms for the legitimate rights of Argentina in the dispute over the sovereignty of the Malvinas Islands. The continuing position of our region is that the United Kingdom should agree to reopen negotiations with a view to finding a peaceful and definitive solution to that dispute as soon as possible.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

31. “We commit to strengthening the climate of peace that prevails in Latin America and the Caribbean and to consolidating a zone of peace that encompasses our region as a whole, whereby disputes between nations are resolved peaceably through dialogue and negotiation or other means, in perfect harmony with international law. At the recent High-level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament (A/68/PV.11), CELAC reiterated its profound concern at the threat posed to humankind by the continued existence of nuclear weapons and their possible use or threat of use, and the urgent need to make progress towards the priority objective of nuclear disarmament and achieve the total and absolute elimination of nuclear weapons.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

32. “Our Community is based on unrestricted respect for international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the use and threat of use of force; on respect for the self-determination, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and on non-interference in their internal affairs; on the protection and promotion of all human rights, the rule of law, at both the national and the international levels, and democracy; and on our aim to work together for collective prosperity so as to eradicate discrimination, inequality, marginalization, human rights violations and transgressions of the rule of law. We reaffirm our region’s commitment to international peace and security.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

33. “However, everything that has been achieved so far and the path CELAC has chosen underscore the need for our region to have a space of its own to consolidate and project the Latin American and Caribbean identity based on its shared principles and values and on the ideals of unity and democracy for our peoples. It should also reaffirm our commitment to building a more just, equitable and harmonious international order based on respect for international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and to upholding the sovereignty and the right of each State to build its own political system, free from threat, aggression or unilateral coercive measures and in an environment of peace, stability, justice, democracy and respect for human rights.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

34. “As the first genuinely Latin American and Caribbean organization that includes all of the countries in the region, CELAC was founded with the purpose of making progress in the political, economic, social and cultural unity and integration of our America, so as to reclaim the dream of our liberators of a nation of republics that, with its almost 600 million inhabitants, its resources and its enormous human and economic potential, can decide autonomously its own destiny. The countries of our region share the conviction that the political, economic, social and cultural unity and integration of Latin America and the Caribbean constitute not only a fundamental aspiration of our peoples, but also a prerequisite for us to successfully tackle the challenges we face as a region.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

35. “I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), over which Cuba currently has the honour to preside. I reiterate our satisfaction at the election of Ambassador John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. I also reiterate our willingness to cooperate with him for the success of this session. It is an honour for CELAC to see a representative from one of its member States, in particular a Caribbean nation, preside over this preeminent body of the United Nations. Over the coming weeks, I will also speak to the Assembly about the heroic struggles of Cuba, its resistance and triumphs, the immense efforts of its people, its fidelity to principles, its revolutionary transformations and the perfection of Cuban socialism.”

    2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)

36. “Cuba strongly rejects the use of so sensitive an issue as terrorism to pursue political goals and calls for the United States Government to stop lying and put an end to this shameful exercise, which is an outrage against the Cuban people, the North American victims and the international community and discredits the cause of the struggle against terrorism. We reiterate to the United States, on the eve of the elections in that country, our irrevocable yearning for peace and our interest in moving towards the normalization of bilateral relations through dialogue, on an equal footing and with absolute respect for our independence. With absolute certainty, our people, come what may, with all and for the well-being of all, will continue on the path they have already chosen until they have achieved full justice.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

37. “The true motive behind the inclusion of Cuba on that spurious list is to fabricate pretexts to increase the persecution of Cuba with respect to its financial transactions and justify the policy of blockade, which has caused immense human and economic harm totalling $1 trillion, based on the current value of gold. The United States does not have the slightest moral or political authority to judge Cuba.It is well known that the United States Government has resorted to State terrorism as a weapon in its policy against Cuba, which has caused the deaths of 3,478 of our compatriots and injured another 2,099. It is also harbouring dozens of terrorists, some of whom live in freedom in that country, and continues with the prolonged, inhumane imprisonment and cruel and arbitrary retention on its territory of the five Cuban anti-terrorists.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

38. “The Summit of Non-Aligned Countries was successfully held in Tehran and reaffirmed the Movement’s positions in defence of peace, independence and the sovereign equality of States; justice; the right to development; sovereignty over natural resources; general and complete disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament; and the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We have pledged our full support to the chairmanship of the Movement. On July 31, the State Department of the United States included Cuba once again on its unilateral, arbitrary list of States that sponsor international terrorism.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

39. “Will they be used to eliminate the masses of poor people who can no longer tolerate their poverty, or to halt the unstoppable migrations of survivors? Under these circumstances, it is urgent to save the United Nations and subject it to deep-seated reform, so as to put it at the service of all, equally sovereign States and free it from the arbitrariness and double standards of a handful of industrialized and powerful countries. International law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations should be resolutely enforced; the key role of the General Assembly should be restored; and a democratic, transparent and truly representative Security Council should be relaunched.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

40. “The loss of biodiversity and of the natural balance of ecosystems is accelerating; and the growing irrationality of production and consumption patterns, the marginalization of more than half of the world’s population and the lack of comprehensive measures to halt climate change pose an ever-increasing risk to the physical integrity of entire nations, particularly small island States. In the face of those colossal challenges, we wonder if anything could ever justify the fact that, 20 years after the end of the so-called Cold War, military budgets have almost doubled, reaching the astronomical figure of $1.74 trillion. As President Raúl Castro Ruz asked, against what enemies will those weapons be used?”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

41. “The global economic crisis, which is having a particularly strong impact on Europe, reflects the inability of Governments and institutions to solve a problem that requires a rethinking of the basic tenets of the current system of international economic relations, which serves only to pillage underdeveloped countries. The harsh consequences of the crisis in the developed world and the failed policies adopted so far in an attempt to stop it continue to be borne by workers, the increasing number of unemployed, immigrants and the poor, whose protest movements are being brutally repressed. The predicted increase in food prices as a result of the drought that is affecting much of North America threatens to exacerbate global food insecurity. Environmental destruction is also worsening.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

42. “The trafficking in arms and money f lows that helps fund insurgent groups, as well as the shameful manipulation of reality by the media, must also come to an end. It is the duty of the General Assembly to make use of the means at its disposal to promote a peaceful solution to the current situation, which is destroying that Arab country, and prevent foreign military aggression, which would have serious consequences for the entire Middle East region. The General Assembly should act with resolve and recognize the Palestinian State as a full Member of the United Nations, within the borders established prior to 1967 and with East Jerusalem as its capital; and it should do so now, with or without the consent of the Security Council; with or without a United States veto; and with or without new peace negotiations.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

43. “The Governments of the United States and some European countries have decided to overthrow the Syrian Government. To that end, they have armed, financed and trained opposition groups, and turned to the use of mercenaries. Owing mainly to the firm opposition of Russia and China, it has not been possible to manipulate the Security Council into imposing the interventionist formula that has been applied in the context of recent bellicose ventures. Cuba reaffirms the right of the Syrian people to the full exercise of its right to self-determination and sovereignty without interference or foreign intervention of any sort. The violence, massacres and terrorist acts, which have taken a high toll in innocent lives, must cease.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

44. “Our America will remain mutilated as long as Puerto Rico, a Latin American and Caribbean nation, lacks its independence — a cause that we fully support. Today’s world is in no way similar to the one that was envisioned by those who drafted the United Nations Charter, over the ashes left by the Second World War, when they expressed their determination to save our generations from the scourge of war; protect the fundamental rights of human beings and equality among all nations, large and small; and promote justice, dignity and social progress. Today, the overthrow of Governments through the use of force and violence is being blatantly encouraged. Regime change is being imposed from Washington and other NATO capitals, and wars of conquest are being waged for the control of natural resources and areas of strategic importance.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

45. “We would like to express to the Venezuelan people and their leader, President Chávez Frías, our full solidarity in the face of the looming attempts at destabilization. The governing powers in the United States would be making a very serious mistake of untold consequences if they were to attempt to reverse by force the social achievements attained by our peoples. Cuba has continuously contributed to peace in Colombia, with discretion and modesty. We fully supported the confidential exploratory talks held throughout this year in Havana, and we will continue to do so as a guarantor and host of the upcoming process of dialogue between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

46. “Tireless efforts have been made to control our wealth, to impose their models, culture and ideas, and to interfere in our internal affairs. Despite talk of “intelligent power” and the use of fabulous new technology, the focus remains on security and military deployment, rather than on democratic and mutually beneficial relations between equal, sovereign States. In the circumstances of a global economic crisis, the depletion of resources and the shifting balances in the world, NATO continues to perceive our region as a mere periphery of the Euro-Atlantic area, in which it might intervene to protect its interests, however illegitimate. The upcoming elections in the sister nation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will be decisive for the shared destiny of our region.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

47. “No other institutional entity in our hemisphere in the course of the last century is of such major importance, wrote the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, about CELAC. We know that CELAC still has not yet reached its full development, so that our peoples can go forward in ranks as compact as the veins of silver in the roots of the Andes. But Latin America and the Caribbean have definitively changed, and they are prepared to make a greater contribution to the world order. However, the threats, dangers and obstacles should not be underestimated. The policy of the United States with regard to our region, under both Democratic and Republican Administrations, has been essentially the same. The promises made by the current President in 2009 have gone unfulfilled.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

48. “Never before have Latin America and the Caribbean expressed themselves with such strength and unity as they did at the Summit of the Americas, held last April in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. Once again, Cuba was excluded at the insistence of the United States. Argentine sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, which our country fervently supports, and the lifting of the blockade against Cuba were the focus of a declaration that demonstrated that the American homeland envisaged by Bolivar — our America as envisaged by Marti — has entered a new era: the century of its ultimate independence. Some months prior, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held its inaugural summit meeting in Caracas.”

    2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)

49. “The attempt to subvert the constitutional order that Cubans have freely elected is intensifying. There is increasing pressure from the extreme right and the Cuban-American mafia to reverse the minimal steps adopted by the American Government to promote, to some degree, links between Cuban émigrés and their home country and exchanges between both peoples. In Cuba, President Raúl Castro Ruz has reiterated that we will continue, in our own sovereign way, to change everything that needs to be changed in order to make our economy more efficient and our socialism better, to achieve full justice and to be able to fully preserve our independence. As Martí said, “The southern sea will join the sea of the north and a serpent will hatch from the egg of an eagle before we cease our struggle to make the homeland free and prosperous.””

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

50. “The Cuban Government reiterates its interest and willingness to move towards the normalization of relations with the United States. Today I reiterate the proposal to begin a dialogue aimed at solving bilateral problems, including humanitarian issues, as well as our offer to negotiate several cooperation agreements concerning drug-trafficking, terrorism, human smuggling, natural disasters and protection of the environment, including in the event of oil spills such as the one that occurred at the British Petroleum platform in the Gulf of Mexico. However, we know that the electoral race has already begun in this country, while the economic situation is growing worse. The economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba has been tightened. The damages it has caused have totalled $975 billion, based on the current price of gold.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)