US LAWMAKER SLAMS TRUMP CUBAN POLICY AS ‘SHAMEFUL’

Democratic Rep. James McGovern has described US policy towards Cuba as shameful, and acknowledged the huge suffering caused by the US blockade against Cuba, which has been intensified through sanctions against Cuban banks, the Latin American Prensa Latina news agency reported on July 31, 2020.

The Massachusetts legislator, who chairs the House Rules Committee, regretted that the US President Donald Trump, once again led his country to a failed Cold War policy regarding Cuba.

Such a stance, the lawmaker expressed in the Lower House, hurts the Cuban people, and denies US farmers and companies the opportunity to interact with their counterparts in Cuba. In all, our policy is a disgrace, added McGovern, who called for a change in position towards Cuba and stressed his interest in being part of that effort.

“If we can have trade with China, Russia and Vietnam, we can have trade with Cuba. If Americans can travel to every country in the world, we have to be able to travel to Cuba without restrictions,” he noted. McGovern said that if the United States really cares about human rights and human suffering, “we must recognize that the US blockade against Cuba is causing enormous suffering to the Cuban people.” The 40-million member-strong US National Council of Churches of Christ also told US Speaker Nancy Pelosi that Cuba has 50 Christian churches, none of which has been persecuted by Havana, as it urged tighter relations with Cuba.