Leader of the Movement for Social Justice and trade unionist David Abdulah says the United States’ decision to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba is a most important development. He said it was a step towards the complete removal of the US economic blockade on the Spanish-speaking Caribbean communist nation. Over the past years Abdulah has been one of the national advocates for the removal of the blockade.
The embargo was lifted after secret negotiations resulting in the release of an American contractor held in a Cuban prison for five years. In 1960, the US placed an embargo on all exports to Cuba with the exception of food and medicine. Within two years, the embargo was extended to include all imports, as Cuba made efforts to nationalise American-owned businesses.
Asked to comment on US President Barack Obama’s announcement on Wednesday, Abdulah said while the blockade remained in effect the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations was a positive development. He said the change allowed certain small benefits to US and Cuban nationals who would be able to visit each other more frequently.
He said the measure would not benefit diplomats from the respective countries as they would continue to have restricted freedom of movement within the countries. Abdulah said President Obama and the Democratic party would have to do a lot to convince the Republican-controlled House and Senate to support the move. He said the decision to remove the embargo could only be taken by the US Congress.
In a statement on Wednesday Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed the move to resume diplomatic relations between the two nations. She said the decision was taken after repeated calls over the recent past. Persad-Bissessar said T&T had always called for the re-establishment of diplomatic ties and the lifting of a US-imposed economic embargo. She said her most recent call was in September at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York