Bolivia’s Evo Morales slams Trump’s Cuba policies

July 21, 2017
Issue 
Bolivian President Evo Morales.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has rejected the United States economic blockade imposed on Cuba, as well as President Donald Trump’s decision to backtrack on the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Havana.

In a public letter sent to his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, Morales repeated his nation’s “unconditional support and solidarity” with the Cuban Revolution and the “most heroic people of the continent”.

“We expect Trump’s government to be defeated one more time, morally and politically, just like his predecessors were since 1959,” said the president.

In a speech in Miami on June 16, Trump announced his cancellation of his predecessor Barack Obama’s “completely one-sided deal with Cuba”.

“Our policy will seek a much better deal for the Cuban people and for the United States of America,” Trump said. “We don’t want US dollars to prop up a military monopoly that exploits and abuses the citizens of Cuba.”

Under the changes, Washington will tighten rules on individual US citizens travelling to Cuba.

Visitors going there for non-academic educational purposes will again be required to travel with organised tour groups run by US companies.

The revised policy also bans most US business deals with the military-linked Armed Forces Business Enterprises Group, while still allowing airlines and cruise ships to continue services.

In response, the Cuban government reaffirmed its willingness to work with Washington while at the same time slamming its ongoing blockade.

[Abridged from TeleSUR English.]

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