SIMON BOLIVAR: “The United States seems destined by providence to plague Latin America with misery in the name of liberty.”
In a courageous and desperately needed acknowledgement of truth, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, at a United Nations Security Council press stake-out July 16th denounced the destructive impact of the brutal embargo declared against Cuba, a denunciation supported by 184 member states of the United Nations, and in his Security Council speech Ebrard denounced the cruel impact and violation of international humanitarian law caused by “the impact of the sanctions applied in some countries where serious humanitarian crises or situations of great human suffering are created.”
Mexican Foreign Minister Ebrard, reclaiming Mexico’s sovereignty, further declared Mexico’s determination to re-open full diplomatic and economic relations with North Korea. This statement re-asserts Mexico’s independence from control by the Colossus to the North, and restores Mexico’s prestige, which had been shattered by former Mexican President Pena Nieto, who, along with Brazil, Peru and Chile shamefully capitulated to pressure from the United States, and declared the Ambassador of the DPRK Persona-Non-Grata in 2017.
It is significant that this press stake-out by the Mexican Foreign Minister was reported together with his declaration of intent to re-establish full diplomatic and commercial relations with the DPRK, and was published immediately by such mainstream western media as Newsweek and the Bloomberg press. Although the US Mission was officially reported to remain “Mum” in reaction to Mexico’s statement, one can only wonder at the “unofficial” reaction of the US delegation when the Mexican Foreign Minister re-entered the Security Council chamber following his press stake-out.
Mexico is currently a member of the United Nations Security Council, unanimously voted to membership by the Latin American states. Outside the high-level meeting on ‘Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Preserving Humanitarian Space,” convened during the July French presidency of the Security Council, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard stated Mexico’s concerns that:
“We have also said what we believe should be done in the coming months and years in terms of how to address the origins of the conflicts. I would also like to point out that in the meetings we have had this morning we have said that although it is true that the humanitarian space has to do with conflicts… It is also true that humanitarian concerns have to do with inequity in access to vaccines against COVID-19, but they also have to do with the impact of the sanctions applied in some countries where serious humanitarian crises or situations of great human suffering are created. We have said it now in the Council and this must change. Mexico is in favor, then, of all countries committing to protect those who are working for humanitarian causes and is also in favor of all countries acting in accordance with international humanitarian law, which is essential to the work of the United Nations throughout the world.”
Although the press had been advised that the Mexican Foreign Minister would be making the brief statement just quoted, and would not be answering questions, Ebrard graciously accepted and answered several questions from the press, following his statement, and expressed the declaration by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that the current disturbances and demonstrations in Cuba are the result of the decades long embargo imposed by the United States, which has destabilized Cuba’s economy, fomenting current unrest.
President Lopez Obrador stated: “Cuba is going through a difficult situation basically attributable to the United States’ blockade.” Indeed, Russia and numerous other countries have accused the US of attempting to incite a “color revolution,” tantamount to regime change in Cuba.
In reply to my own question, referring to Foreign Minister Ebrard’s concern with the “impact of the sanctions applied in some countries where serious humanitarian crises or situations of great human suffering are created,” I mentioned the large numbers of people starving and dying in the DPRK as the result of UN Security Council sanctions, and the abysmal failure of the so-called “humanitarian exemptions” to protect the people of North Korea from the disastrous effect of UN Security Council sanctions; I asked when President Lopez Obrador will be reestablishing full diplomatic and commercial relations with the DPRK. Foreign Minister Ebrard replied:
“We have a position of non-intervention all over the world, we respect all governments, and we want to reopen the relationship with North Korea as well, like any other country.”
On July 23, a full page paid advertisement in the New York Times in a letter to President Biden stated: “Let Cuba Live!” The letter stated:
“We find it unconscionable, especially during a pandemic, to intentionally block remittances and Cuba’s use of global financial institutions, given that access to dollars is necessary for the importation of food and medicine…..” and the letter was signed by such world-famous names as Daniel Ellsberg, Noam Chomsky, Jane Fonda, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Pablo Gonzalez Casanova, Chico Buarque, Lula Da Silva, Former President of Brazil, Chris Hedges, Yanis Varoufakis, and a vast number of other notables throughout the world.
It is to be hoped that Mexico’s membership in the Security Council will help to restore some balance and credibility to the Security Council, for too long hijacked by Western nuclear powers.
Carla Stea is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) and Global Research’s Correspondent at UN headquarters, New York.
This post was originally published by Globalresearch.ca.
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