Cuba’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ana Rodriguez, reiterated the island’s commitment to denuclearization and called for a world without nuclear weapons. Rodriguez expressed her concern that some countries have continued to expand and modernize their nuclear arsenal even during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The diplomat took aim at the United States, saying that worldwide denuclearization remains a far-fetched dream so long as the United States continues to violate both the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), all the while pressuring other states into agreeing not to pursue a nuclear weapons program.
She remarked that the US has also withdrawn from multiple international agreements on disarmament and arms limitations, such as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
At the time of US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated its “profound rejection of the decision of the United States government” to withdraw from the treaty and re-impose sanctions on Iran. It added, “The failure to comply with these international commitments violates the rules of coexistence between states and can have serious consequences for the stability and security of the Middle East.”
Cuba seeks a total ban on all forms of nuclear tests and facilities as it dangerous for the environment, global security, and the finances of countries that are already cash-strapped, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic. It does, however, support the right of states to develop nuclear energy for “peaceful purposes” without undue foreign influence and intimidation, as seen in the example of Iran.
In another UN meeting, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Jorge Valero said that the US is the “biggest violator of human rights in the world”. He remarked that the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) is ‘paradoxical’, as this is the exact moment that such an organization needs to be supported most. Likewise, he said that, while the US is a member of the World Trade Organization, it continues to employ protectionist trade measures that weaken the multilateral trade system.
Like Cuba’s Rodriguez, Valero also emphasized how the US withdrew from the INF and further criticized its decision not to extend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Building on the Cuban diplomat’s concerns, the Venezuelan representative said that American multilateralism threatens to pave the way for a Third World War, which he argues would be nuclear in nature and cause millions of deaths. In what appears to be yet another shot at the US and Trump, Valero reiterated Venezuela’s commitment to multilateralism, its focus on “social justice and human brotherhood”, and its goal of eradicating “racism and xenophobia”.
Cuba Says Denuclearization Impossible Due to Lack of Commitment From US
Cuban diplomat Ana Rodriguez criticized the US for violating the CTBT and the NPT.
August 27, 2020
IMAGE SOURCE: UN PHOTOCuban Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ana Rodriguez