| The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly urged | | | | U.S. mission to the United Nations. In his address, he |
| the United States to end its 44-year trade embargo | | | | rejected Cuba's characterization of the embargo as a |
| against Cuba. | | | | blockade. |
| This is the 14th consecutive year the General | | | | "Castro claims that the embargo is a blockade," he |
| Assembly has passed a resolution criticizing | | | | said. "He knows this is a lie. Cuba is free to trade with |
| Washington's embargo against Cuban leader Fidel | | | | any other country in the world without interference |
| Castro's government. | | | | from the United States. Castro knows that the real |
| The margin of approval - 182 in favor, four against, | | | | reason behind Cuba's trade problems is the failure of |
| with one abstention - was the widest since Cuba | | | | his country to pay its bills, and billions of dollars in |
| began introducing the measure in 1992. Those voting | | | | loans in arrears." |
| with the United States were Israel, Palau and the | | | | Ambassador Godard argued that the trade embargo |
| Marshall Islands. Micronesia abstained, and five other | | | | is a bilateral issue, and should not be brought before |
| countries did not vote. | | | | the General Assembly. He charged that the root of |
| The list of 20 nations addressing the Assembly in | | | | Cuba's problem is not the embargo, but Fidel Castro. |
| support of the resolution included many vocal critics | | | | "If the people of Cuba are jobless, hungry or lack |
| of U.S. policy. Among them were Sudan, Venezuela, | | | | medical care, as Castro admits, it is because of his |
| Iran, China, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, South Africa, | | | | economic mismanagement, not the embargo," he |
| Belarus, Syria and India. After the vote, | | | | said. |
| representatives of North Korea and Zimbabwe also | | | | Washington's U.N. Ambassador John Bolton did not |
| rose to condemn U.S. policy. | | | | attend the gathering. Speaking to reporters, he |
| Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque spoke for | | | | ridiculed the proceedings. |
| the Havana government. Addressing the assembly | | | | "This is a complete exercise in irrelevancy," he said. |
| through an interpreter, he referred to the embargo | | | | "A General Assembly that has not yet seriously |
| as a blockade, and charged that it had been | | | | attempted to reform the U.N. Human Rights |
| tightened during President Bush's administration. | | | | Commission or engage in the revolution of |
| "Never before as in the last 18 months has the | | | | management reform that Secretary Rice talked |
| blockade been enforced with so much viciousness | | | | about, to adopt this exercise in Cuban propaganda |
| and brutality, never before have we seen such cruel | | | | really tells you something. |
| and relentless persecution by a U.S. administration | | | | The resolution passed Tuesday has no legal effect, |
| against the economy and the right of Cubans to a | | | | and has not been observed in the past. But the |
| decent life," he said. | | | | votes are considered a barometer of international |
| Representing the United States in the Assembly was | | | | opinion. |
| Ambassador Ronald Godard, a senior adviser at the | | | | |