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Labour, others seek end to U.S. trade embargo on Cuba

By Yetunde Ebosele and Wole Oyebade
27 October 2015   |   2:44 am
Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its sister Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday joined global campaign seeking an end to United States’ (US) trade embargo on Cuba. The labour unions, in collaboration with the Nigerian-Cuba Friendship Business and Cultural Association, in Lagos on Wednesday said that the 55-year-old embargo on Cuba amounts to injustice…
TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama

TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its sister Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday joined global campaign seeking an end to United States’ (US) trade embargo on Cuba.

The labour unions, in collaboration with the Nigerian-Cuba Friendship Business and Cultural Association, in Lagos on Wednesday said that the 55-year-old embargo on Cuba amounts to injustice on the Cuban people, majority of which are African descendants.

Among dignitaries at the solidarity conference is the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Etrejo Sosa.

It would be recalled that Cuba, about nine miles away from the United States territory, had both severed diplomatic ties since 1961 during the Cold War. Though diplomatic relations were restored on July 20, 2015, the United States, however, continues to maintain its commercial, economic, and financial embargo, which makes it illegal for U.S. corporations to do business with Cuba.

Comrade Isa Aremu of the NLC said that US’ continuous trade embargo and isolation of Cuba from the rest of the world violate fundamental rights, principles of freedom and sovereignty.

Aremu noted that despite “western neo-colonialism and neoliberalism” in Cuba, the country has continue to make progress in the area of healthcare, education, technological innovations, longevity among others in the last five decades.

He added that the contemporary feeling in Cuba is that “a new Cuba that is integrated with the rest of the world, is possible, and no one, including the US should prevent it.”

Aremu added that the courage and resilience of the Cubans, in the last 55 years deserved commendation and should be a lesson to African countries.

President of the TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said that the Cuban situation was of interest to them as labour unionists, citing that “injury to one is injury to all.”

Kaigama said that the TUC was particularly interested because the embargo contravenes principles of sovereignty, coupled with the lessons Nigeria could learn from Cuba in not caving in to “U.S. Imperialism” despite attendant challenges of being isolated.

According to him, “U.S. always wants to dictate to other countries and imposing their socio-cultural values on others but this must stop. The lesson from Cuba is that of resilience and a people’s solidarity with their government towards self-determination. We all have to support them,” he said.

Kaigama observed that the United Nations General Assembly had been condemning the US embargo since 1992, but yet to translate into anything concrete, adding that it was high time President Barack Obama had given concrete meaning to the recent relations with Cuba.

President of the Nigerian-Cuba Friendship Business and Cultural Association, Abdul-Kareem Motajo, said that the conference was in solidarity with their African brothers in Cuba, “all of who have African, particularly Nigerian blood flowing in their system.”

Motajo said: “Asking the US to lift the heinous economic blockade against Cuba is not only for the country but for our African brothers and also other countries of the world. Because of the blockade, no other country with anything to do with the US, can buy or sell anything to Cuba. They cannot spend dollar in Cuba.

“We must continue to clamour for the lift, especially at this time that the United Nations Conference on Human Rights is coming up later this month, where the issue will also be raised as it has always been the case.

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