Lula: there is no reason for the economic blockade against Cuba

Juan Diego Nusa Peñalver

LUIZ Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the Federative Republic of Brazil, this Thursday called on President Barack Obama to lift the economic, commercial, and financial blockade of Cuba because there is no reason for this measure to be in place.

"Like the Cubans, I do not think that there is any reason for the embargo (blockade); there is no political or economic reason; the Cold War is over, and that is enough for (the United States) to make a decision," affirmed the South American president, speaking to the press at the José Martí International Airport moments before concluding his visit. Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz was at the airport to bid farewell to the Brazilian president.

In this context, he called on Obama to use the same courage that the American people used to elect him president of the United States to "solve the problem of the embargo (blockade) of Cuba."

After expressing his pleasure with this, his third, visit to the island as president of Brazil, he emphasized that the meeting he had with Fidel Castro Ruz was very important.

He commented that he was very satisfied, very happy to find the leader of the Cuban Revolution in good health and said that Fidel was discussing economics as if he were a young man, thinking of the future of Cuba and Latin American and the Caribbean, and, as might be expected, thinking of the future of the world.

Likewise, he signaled the importance of his meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro and the bilateral agreements signed on this occasion, which will contribute to Cuba’s development.

At another point, he said that his visit was very significant "for examining in detail the policy of solidarity toward Haiti adopted by Cuba, Brazil, and other Latin American countries."

He explained that he is taking with him a Cuban proposal for both countries to help the Haitians build a healthcare system.

Lula stated that Cubans are probably the best solidarity specialists in the world. "They are the most prepared and therefore we want to work together to return hope to Haitians."

Lastly, the Brazilian president assured that his country will work with unfailing conviction Cuba’s central ally in terms of the island’s investment and development policy.

He praised the island’s potential and added that Brazil today has better conditions than 10 year ago, and so "we are not going to fail at the point of discussing the most important projects for Cuba."