Madrid, April 19 (IANS) The governments of Brazil, Mexico and Spain expressed deep concern over the grave humanitarian crisis facing the Cuban people and urged necessary measures to ease the situation, according to a joint statement published on the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s website.
The three governments on Saturday, also called relevant parties to avoid actions that worsen the living conditions of the population or that violate international law, and pledged to increase, in a coordinated manner, their humanitarian response to alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people, Xinhua news agency reported.
In the statement, Brazil, Spain and Mexico also reiterated the need to respect international law at all times, as well as the principles of territorial integrity, sovereign equality and the peaceful settlement of disputes, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to human rights, democratic values and multilateralism, and called for a sincere and respectful dialogue in line with international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
They said such dialogue should aim to find a lasting solution to the current situation and ensure that the Cuban people themselves decide their future in full freedom.
Fuel shortages in Cuba have deepened after Washington took measures at the end of January to block oil supplies from entering the Caribbean nation, according to the United Nations.
Despite the reported arrival of limited fuel supplies, including a recent oil shipment sent by Russia which was allowed to dock by the United States despite its blockade last week, “the humanitarian needs in the country remain quite acute and persistent”, said the top UN official in the country, adding that the impacts of the energy shock have ‘worsened’ since the end of March.
The humanitarian situation has reached a critical tipping point following three months without sufficient fuel to meet the Caribbean nation’s energy needs, which had been largely met by Venezuela until the US rendition of President Nicolas Maduro in January.
–IANS
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