CUBA AND THE UNITED STATES' ECONOMIC BLOCKADE

EDM number 1022 in 1995-96, proposed by George Galloway on 19/06/1996.

That this House notes that the recent passing of the Helms/Burton Law in the United States of America seeks to make the United States blockade of Cuba, which has been imposed for over 30 years and denies Cuba the possibility of many important trade opportunities, even more draconian by denying Cuba financial assistance from international institutions and imposing additional sanctions on third countries trading with Cuba; notes that the Helms/Burton Law seeks to extend the scope of United States interference in Cuba's internal affairs which contravenes all internationally recognised norms on national sovereignty by instructing the President of the United States to press for a total international blockade of Cuba at the United Nations Security Council as a prelude to United States involvement in the setting up of a new government in Cuba which the United States would vet annually to ascertain whether or not to reimpose the blockade; welcomes the objections of Her Majesty's Government to the extra-territorial provisions of Helms/Burton which directly contravenes the laws on free trade as set down by GATT and the World Trade Organisation; calls upon Her Majesty's Government to assure all British companies wishing to trade freely with Cuba of their support and to assure them that they will not suffer economic or other reprisals by the United States of America; and call upon Her Majesty's Government to vote against this illegal blockade and its extension by means of the Helms/Burton Law at the United Nations General Assembly meeting this autumn.

This motion has been signed by a total of 39 MPs.