In Havana, Mexican president Felipe Calderón condemns U.S. embargo of Cuba

His friends in Washington won't be surprised in the least

President Calderón, whose six year term ends on Nov. 30, 2012, made his first official visit yesterday to Havana. The 24 hour stop was also the first state visit by any Mexican president since 2002 (when Vicente Fox traveled to the island).

Calderon has already left the country. He's in Haiti tonight, and will travel on to Cartagena, Colombia over the weekend to prepare for the 6th Summit of the Americas. Calderón met with Cuban president Raul Castro, but not with Fidel. Before his departure the Mexican president told reporters, "Mexico condemns, and will always condemn, the unjust economic embargo of Cuba."

The U.S. embargo was imposed by president John F. Kennedy on Feb. 7, 1962. Its 50th anniversary was observed two months ago in Washington and Havana, with much rancor in the Cuban capital. Last October the United Nations voted for the 20th consecutive time to condemn the embargo. The vote was 186-2; Israel alone sided with the United States. Mexico voted with the lopsided majority, as it does every year.

In statements just before the vote, the Cuban foreign minister claimed the embargo had cost the island about $1 trillion USD in economic damages since it was imposed during the American-Soviet Cold War. The U.S. representative responded by telling the assembled diplomatic representatives that U.S.-Cuba relations are a strictly "bi-lateral" affair in which the United Nations should not involve itself. The vote of U.N. condemnation was advisory only, and had no practical consequences since it cannot be enforced in any way.

According to the Cuban government, 70% of all its citizens alive today were born under the American embargo.

Colombia's president Santos calls for normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/04/colombias-president-santos-calls-for.html#more.
50th anniversary of U.S. embargo of Cuba - Feb. 7, 2012: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/02/us-embargo-of-cuba-is-50-years-old.html.
It's time to end the Cuban embargo: http://mexicogulfreporter-supplement.blogspot.com/2011/11/us-embargo-of-cuba.html.
United Nations condemns U.S. embargo of Cuba (186-2) for the 20th time: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/united-nations-condemns-us-embargo-of.html.
Newt Gingrich spews the same old Cold War rhetoric on Cuba: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2012/01/gingrich-spews-same-old-cold-war.html.
Hillary Clinton's worn out Cuban game plan: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.com/2011/10/hillary-clinton-sticks-to-same-old-game.html.