Last week the U.S. and Cuba exchanged accusations at a session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
U.S. Accusations [1]
On March 14, Jason Mack, a member of the U.S. delegation in Geneva, made a statement to the Council expressing concern over various human rights issues in Iran, Syria, Myanmar, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Cambodia, South Sudan, Russia, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Venezuela and Turkey.
With respect to Cuba, Mack said, “We continue to be concerned about Cuba’s harassment and detention of individuals who attempt to peacefully assemble or otherwise express themselves. We condemn the undemocratic electoral process in which the Cuban people cannot freely choose their future leaders.”
Cuba Accusations [2]
In response, the Cuban Permanent Representative, Ambassador Pedro L. Pedroso Cuesta, first made a general statement. He said, “At each session of the Council, we call for the rejection of manipulation and double standards in the treatment of human rights, as well as abandoning the path of politicization and selectivity.”
“However, when in this debate we observe powerful countries seeking to establish themselves as paradigms of promotion and protection of human rights, omitting serious violations of these rights committed by them, we ask ourselves: was it not to avoid this situation and promote dialogue and cooperation for what we created this Council?”
“Xenophobia, racism and intolerance are rising to worrying levels in those countries that refuse to recognize the right to development as a basic human right. That is why we reject the use of the human rights issue to exert political pressure and seek to impose punitive actions, with the objective, many times, of promoting regime changes.”
Ambassador Cuesta then made the following direct response to the U.S.:
- “The accusations made against Cuba in the statement by the US representative are illegitimate and a demonstration of an approach inconsistent with the need to promote an objective, non-politicized and non-discriminatory debate on the problem of human rights. When criticizing other countries, it seems that they intend us to forget the human rights violations they commit in their territory and against other peoples of the world.”
- “The use of torture, the killing of African-Americans by the police, the deaths of civilians by their troops, the indiscriminate and racially differentiated use of the death penalty, murder, repression and police surveillance of immigrants, the separation of families and the detention or deportation of minors and the brutal measures with which it threatens the children of illegal immigrants who grew up and were educated in the United States should be condemned. Is it the government that lost the popular vote the one that wants to give us lessons in democracy?”
- “We demand the cessation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed against Cuba almost 60 years ago. We demand the return of the territory usurped by the Guantánamo Naval Base.”
- “Cuba will continue its struggle because its society is as fair as possible. We will persist in defending the right of the Cuban people to give itself the political system it deems, and follow its path of self-determination without any intervention or interference.”
Conclusion
Note that Ambassador Cuesta did not respond to the two specific accusations by the U.S. about Cuba. Nor did the U.S. representative seek to respond to the subsequent accusations about the U.S. from Ambassador Cuesta.
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[1] U.S. Mission Geneva Switzerland, Statement of the Delegation of the United States of America as delivered by Jason Mack (Mar. 14, 2018).
[2] Cuba Foreign Ministry, Cuba calls for the rejection of manipulation and double standards in the treatment of human rights (Mar. 14, 2018).