HAVANA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 representatives from different institutions of Cuban civil society on Wednesday demanded U.S. President Donald Trump to put an end to the economic embargo against Cuba and continue the process of normalizing ties.
In their annual meeting against this U.S. policy, different organizations said the blockade is the main obstacle to Cuba's economic and social development, having cost the island over 130 billion U.S. dollars in loss since it was imposed in 1962.
"The main goal of this obsolete policy that new U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he is strengthening continues to be the same as when it started. It seeks to destroy the Cuban revolution and interfere in our country's internal matters," Elsa Gutierrez, international relations chief of the Cuban Women's Federation, said at the forum.
Gutierrez said the blockade is a "flagrant" violation of human rights and also seeks to stifle the island's economic relations with other nations in the world.
Meanwhile, Jose Ginarte, President of the Cuban Union of Lawyers, said the recent setback in bilateral relations due to alleged "sonic attacks" on U.S. diplomats in Havana was an "excuse" by the White House to once again start a "confrontation" with Cuba.
"We denounce false pretexts such as the alleged acoustic attacks on U.S. diplomatic personnel to justify Trump's aggression against the dignity of Cuba, whose history demonstrates its unrestricted respect for international law, especially the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations," he added.
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno, who chaired the event on behalf of the government, said this year's civil society forum was taking place in a new context marked by a "setback" in bilateral ties with Washington.
He indicated that even after relations with the U.S. were restored in 2015, the embargo remained intact, causing great harm to Cuba's economy and commercial relations with other nations.
Moreno said the current circumstances under Trump are "complex" and marked by an intensification of the economic embargo against Cuba.
Over the last 25 years, Cuba has presented an annual resolution at the UN General Assembly against the U.S. economic blockade, which has been supported by the vast majority of the global community.
