‘Not in a position to lecture’: Cuba fires back at Trump, says blockade ‘destined to fail’

Havana has blasted US President Donald Trump’s decision Friday to roll back much of Barack Obama’s policy of rapprochement and imposing new restrictions on Cuba using the pretext of human rights concerns, calling it a case of double standards.

“The United States is not in a position to give us lessons. We have serious concerns about the respect and guarantees of human rights in that country, where there are numerous cases of murders, brutality and police abuses, particularly against the African American population,” the Cuban government said in a statement, published by the Communist Party's official Granma newspaper.

It went on to note that Washington’s record of encroachment on human rights stretches well beyond its borders. For instance, at its naval base on the “illegally occupied” Guantanamo Bay, the US subjected “dozens of prisoners” to torture and arbitrary detention, it said. The Cuban authorities also reminded Washington of “dire consequences for the peace, security and stability” in the Middle East of its invasion into Iraq under the false pretext and called it out for inflicting mass civilian casualties by carrying pit indiscriminate bombings and drone strikes.

Dismantling his predecessor’s legacy on Cuba, Trump labelled it a “terrible, misguided” and “completely one-sided” deal and pledged to keep all US sanctions imposed on Cuba in place until it frees all political prisoners, guarantees civil freedoms and holds “internationally supervised” elections.  

The Cuban government dismissed the allegations, arguing that the Cuban citizens already “enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms,” and said that it “rejects… double standards in the treatment of human rights” showcased by Washington.
 rt.com
17/6/17