Ramos-Horta Wants the US to Cancel Sanctions on Cuba and Normalize Relations

DILI, www.news-viptv.com – The President of Timor-Leste, Jose Ramos-Horta, firmly asked the United States (US) government to cancel various sanctions on Cuba and carry out dialogue and normalize relations between the two countries.

Ramos-Horta’s confirmation was conveyed in an official presidential letter issued on June 21, 2024.

“I appeal to US Congress and Administration to reverse this unjust policy and reverse all sanctions, engage Cuba in dialogue, normalize relations,” Ramos-Horta said in his official letter.

According to Timor-Leste’s number one person, he also considers the economic embargo imposed by the US on Cuba for 50 years to be very cruel.

“One of the most comprehensive punitive sanction ever applied against a country is without a doubt the draconian, pitiless economic embargo unilaterally imposed on Cuba by successive US Administrations spanning over 50 years,” he said.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner also disagrees with the US Government’s decision to include Cuba on the list of countries that support terrorism, where in its history Cuba has never invaded any country.

“It is with dismay that we have learned of US Administration’s decision to place Cuba on a US list of countries sponsoring terrorism. Timor-Leste cannot agree with such unilateral and arbitrary action that serves only to further punishing and impoverishing a small Latin American country,” said

Ramos-Horta and emphasized, “Cuba never invaded another country, is a strong international partner in providing humanitarian and medical services round the clock anywhere in the world. Sanctions against Cuba are blatantly unfair.”

On the other hand, according to Ramos-Horta, Cuba has contributed a lot to humanitarian missions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Cubans deployed abroad over decades consist of tens of thousands of medical doctors who have saved millions of lives in Africa, Latin America and Asia. In recent times Cuban doctors were seen in Europe providing critical assistance during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Ramos-Horta testified.

In fact, Cuba also contributed to helping develop human resources in Timor-Leste in the health sector by educating Timor-Leste students who have now become doctors.

“Cubans have trained thousands of young doctors from across the globe. Timor-Leste had 20 national doctors in 2002. With generous Cuba’s assistance today we have more than 1,200 medical doctors. This is in addition to Cuban medical professionals, including specialists, working in hospitals around the country.”

President Ramos-Horta’s official letter was also responded positively by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez and thanked the President of Timor-Leste for his support in this matter.

“We appreciate recent statements by @JoseRamosHorta1, President of Timor Leste and Nobel Peace Prize winner, against the inclusion of #Cuba in the spurious list of States that supposedly sponsor terrorism and in favor of lifting the criminal US blockade against our people,” wrote Bruno Rodriguez in his Twitter.