Cuba’s Ambassador to Jamaica Inez Fors Fernández has asserted that the United States Government has specifically targeted the north Caribbean island to cripple its economy, but vowed that the Cuban people will continue the fight to stay alive and relevant.

Ambassador Fors Fernández was addressing the celebration to mark Cuba’s National Day last Friday at her St Andrew residence. The official national day is January 1 annually – the day in 1959 that leftist Fidel Castro led his forces in an overthrow of right wing dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Addressing scores of specially invited guests and well-wishers, among them former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, President of the Senate Tom Tavares Finson, and Member of Parliament Horace Dalley, who represented Leader of the Opposition Dr Peter Phillips, Ambassador Fors Fernández said that last year was one filled with challenges, tension and aggression for the Cuban people, but they would continue with the struggle to improve their lives and those of millions around the world to whom they offer assistance.

“The US Government has made the Cuban economy the primary target to destroy. Cruise ships tours, flights, remittances, medical services, financing, transportation of fuels, and insurance policies were cancelled, restricted, or prohibited. There was no area free of the hunt, the siege, or persecution,” Fors Fernández said.

“There has been 61 years of struggle, sacrifices, efforts and victories,” the ambassador continued. “The heroic Cuban people have travelled a road of more than 150 years of struggle, but it is proud of their national history and culture.

“The measures adopted against Cuba were designed to sabotage the foreign commerce and to create obstacles to financial transactions with third countries, including payments, charges, and the possibility of credit. They seek to interrupt the supplies to the national industry, to limit access to technology and to sources of capital and income, with particular actions directed against the transportation of fuel, tourism, and international health services.

“The blockade has caused damage, scarcities and hardships for the Cuban people. It is a flagrant, massive, and systematic violation of human rights. It qualifies as an act of genocide under Articles II (b) and (c) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted in 1948. There is not one single Cuban family that has not suffered the consequences of the blockade,” Fors Fernández stated.

Declaring that her country would not “kneel before the most powerful nation on earth”, Fors Fernández said that Cuba continues to show progress, and will maintain its growth objectives.

Turning to relations between Cuba and Jamaica, Fors Fernández mentioned agreements signed and the several exchange programmes that were continuing.

“Our relation is much deeper, profound, and sublime and can never be measured in the above terms. Cuba´s relationship with Jamaica shows that it’s possible to have a friendly and emotional relationship based on sharing and mutual respect. We are rather bound by the elements of the intangible which include our share history, people to people-relations, culture, music, dances,” she said.

She gave three examples of Cuba’s “resilience” in its effort to maintain high quality health care and insisted that the inhabitants of the Spanish-speaking island would continue its efforts to achieving even more in that area.