By Francis Kobena Tandoh
The Progressive Forces has publicly denounced the United States blockage against the Republic of Cuba as an illegal unilateral coercive force and is calling for the lifting of the blockage against the Latin American country, according to a joint statement released here.
The Forces demanded the immediate removal of Cuba from the “State Sponsor of Terrorism” list and is also calling for the complete and unconditional lifting of the economic, commercial, and financial blockage against the Caribbean country.
The statement signed by 54 organisations rejects the use of sanctions, financial exclusion, and economic siege as instruments of regime change, uphold Cuba’s inalienable right to political independence, self-governance, and territorial integrity and also insist that international disputes be addressed through diplomacy, dialogue, and multilateral mechanisms rather than gunboat diplomacy.
Find the full joint statement as released by the Progressive Forces below;
JOINT STATEMENT BY PROGRESSIVE FORCES CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE LIFTING OF THE UNITED STATES BLOCKADE AGAINST THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
1. We, the undersigned organisations and movements committed to social justice, sovereignty, anti-
colonial struggle, and international law, unite in unequivocal condemnation of the ongoing economic blockade imposed by the United States against the Republic of Cuba.
For more than six decades, this unilateral, intimidating policy has sought to subjugate a sovereign
nation for choosing an independent political and economic path. It represents a sustained act of
economic aggression aimed at generating hardship, destabilisation, and political submission. Such
measures constitute collective punishment and directly contradict the principles of the United
Nations Charter and the norms governing relations among sovereign states.
The blockade, first imposed in 1960 and later entrenched through legislation including the Helms-
Burton Act, extends beyond bilateral hostility. Its extraterritorial provisions penalise third countries, financial institutions, shipping companies, and corporations that engage in lawful trade
with Cuba. In doing so, it weaponises the global financial system as an instrument of imperial
coercion.
The designation of Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” has further intensified this siege. This
label isolates the country from international banking systems, deters investment, blocks routine
financial transactions, and obstructs humanitarian trade. Its reputational and compliance
consequences exceed its legal framework, compounding the economic suffocation of the Cuban
people.
This policy persists despite overwhelming and consistent opposition within the United Nations
General Assembly, where the international community has repeatedly called for its termination.
The continued enforcement of the blockade demonstrates a refusal to respect multilateral
consensus and international law.
The consequences of this economic warfare constrain access to food imports, medical supplies,
industrial equipment and energy inputs. Financial institutions, fearing secondary sanctions, decline
legitimate transactions. Shipping firms avoid Cuban ports. These cumulative pressures hinder
economic planning, strain public services, and impede national development.
Yet Cuba’s international record stands in sharp contrast to the treatment it receives.
During Africa’s liberation struggles, Cuba provided decisive military and technical assistance.
Between 1975 and 1991, approximately 300,000 Cuban troops served in Angola in defense of the
MPLA government against apartheid South Africa and external intervention. The Battle of Cuito
Cuanavale marked a turning point that contributed to the independence of Namibia and the
dismantling of apartheid. Leaders, including Nelson Mandela publicly acknowledged Cuba’s
contribution to African freedom.
Cuban solidarity extended to Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and other liberation movements across
the continent. Military advisers, educators, and medical professionals served abroad under difficult
conditions in support of Africa’s anti-colonial struggle.
2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba dispatched medical brigades to dozens of countries across
Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Cuban scientists developed domestic vaccines
despite restricted access to global supply chains. Even under blockade, Cuba contributed to
international public health cooperation.
The persistence of the blockade cannot be detached from geopolitical calculation and domestic
political incentives within the United States. Cuba occupies a unique place in US strategic imperial
thinking. Before 1959, significant portions of Cuban land, utilities, and tourism infrastructure were
owned or controlled by US interests.
The island functioned as a leisure extension of the mainland, centred on resort development, casino
operations, and foreign corporate dominance. That historical memory remains embedded in
segments of political and business discourse that view Cuba less as a sovereign nation and more
as a future investment opportunity should the blockade cause political change.
Guided by anti-imperialist principle and international solidarity, we call upon the conscience of
the global community to:
- Publicly denounce the United States blockade as an illegal unilateral coercive measure and
a violation of Cuba’s sovereignty. - Demand the immediate removal of Cuba from the “State Sponsor of Terrorism” list.
- Call for the complete and unconditional lifting of the economic, commercial, and financial
blockade. - Reject the use of sanctions, financial exclusion, and economic siege as instruments of
regime change. - Uphold Cuba’s inalienable right to political independence, self-governance, and territorial
integrity. - Insist that international disputes be addressed through diplomacy, dialogue, and
multilateral mechanisms rather than gunboat diplomacy. - Encourage governments and parliaments to oppose extraterritorial sanctions and protect
lawful trade relations. - Organize public education campaigns, forums, and assemblies to expose the human cost of
unilateral economic warfare. - Stand in active solidarity with the Cuban people and with all nations resisting imperial
domination.
We affirm that sovereignty is not conditional on compliance with great power interests. If
economic siege becomes normalised as a tool of political engineering, then the independence of
all nations becomes precarious.
Grounded in Pan-Africanism, anti-colonial history, and South-South solidarity, we reject economic
strangulation as a method of international governance. We recommit ourselves to a world order
rooted in equality among states, respect for sovereignty, and genuine multilateralism.
Hands Off Cuba.
End the Blockade Now.
3. SIGNATORIES
Action for the Development of Angolan Youth and Foreigners in Angola (ADJAE), Angola
All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP), Ghana
Alliance for the Homeland and Pan-Africanism (APP), Benin
ANJUD Association, Niger
APP/Burkindi, Burkina Faso
ASMEN, France
BISO PEOPLE, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Black Empowerment Ghana, Ghana
Coalition of the Togolese Diaspora for Change and Democracy (CODITOGO), Togo
Collectif Afrique, France
Confederation of Pan-Africanist Associations and Movements of West Africa (CAMPAO),
Burkina Faso
Cultural Committee for Democracy in Benin (CCDB), Benin
Debout Citoyen, Niger
Federation of Trade Unions of Workers in Free Zone Enterprises and Industry, Madagascar
Friends of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Front for a Popular and Pan-African Anti-Imperialist Revolution (FRAPP), Senegal
Harbist Movement, Djibouti
Headquarters of the Revolution, Mali
Jeunesse-Handicap, Mali
Kisumu Peace and Justice, Kenya
Labour Movement, Zambia
Mabedja Pan-Africanists, Comoros
Movement for African Emancipation (MAE), Nigeria
National Coordination of Citizen Monitoring Associations, Burkina Faso
National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy
(CNDD–FDD), Burundi
National Federation of Education (FNE), Morocco
National Youth Council of Namibia, Namibia
New Power Europe, Gabon
Pan African Federalist Movement (PAFM), Togo
Pan-African League – Umoja, France
4. Pan-African Movement for a Free Africa, Central African Republic
Pan-African Progressive Front, Ghana
Pan-African Unitary Dynamic, France
Pan-Africanism Today, South Africa
Party of Progress and Socialism, Morocco
Planet of Pan-Africanist Youth of Burkina Faso (PJP-BF), Burkina Faso
Progressive Movement for African Peoples (MPA), Guinea-Conakry
Socialist Movement of Ghana, Ghana
Socialist Party – Zambia, Zambia
State55 Afrika, Cameroon
Suluhu, Comoros
SYRES–Côte d’Ivoire (Union for the Revaluation of Secondary School Staff in Côte
d’Ivoire), Côte d’Ivoire
The Communist Party of Benin, Benin
The Liberian People’s Party (LPP), Liberia
The Pan-African Convergence, Cameroon
The Pan-African Movement, Chad
The Pan-African Movement for a Free Africa, Central African Republic
The Pan-Africans, Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Sudanese Communist Party, Sudan
Trades Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana, Ghana
Tunisia Forward Movement, Tunisia
Union of the Populations of Cameroon – National Manifesto for the Establishment of
Democracy (UPC-MANIDEM), Cameroon
We Can Movement, Mauritania
Women Concerns Center, Kenya
Source: Ghana Eye Report
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