World
Intellectuals Demand End
To U.S. Ban On Cuba
HAVANA - More than 1,000
intellectuals from Latin
America, Europe, Africa
and the United States
signed a support
document to Cuba,
demanding the United
States lift its ban
imposed on Cuba nearly
half a century ago,
local press said
Thursday.
Intellectuals from 30
countries including
Brazil, Argentina,
Chile, Venezuela, Italy,
France, Greece,
Australia, Britain and
South Africa, signed the
document, whose text was
published online by
Cuban intellectuals
demanding the end to the
U.S. embargoes against
Cuba.
The document said Cuba
has recently been
whipped by two
hurricanes and suffered
great losses because of
that, and its people
demand an immediate end
to the U.S. ban, which
"has been a siege
imposed by successive
U.S. administrations."
The document can be seen
Thursday on website
www.concubahoy.cult.cu.
, and is open to
comments.
"We appeal to the
sensitivity of the
intellectuals and
artists from all the
world to demand an
immediately end to the
criminal U.S. ban
(against Cuba) and to
promote support and aid
for Cuba," the document
said.
Alicia Alonso, director
of National Ballet of
Cuba, said what Cuba is
demanding "is a human
right, not charity."
The United States
imposed sanctions on
Cuba in 1962, seeking to
keep the country from
carrying out any foreign
exchanges and has ten
the end to Communism. As
a result, Cuba, whose
then trade with the U.S.
accounted for two-thirds
its total foreign trade,
was plunged into dire
straits. The situation
deteriorated further
when the U.S. passed a
bill in 1996 to punish
foreign companies
dealing with Cuba.
The Cuban government has
recently rejected the
United States'
strings-attached offer
to send hurricane aid
accompanied by experts
to evaluate the damage.
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