Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez speaks at a press conference in Havana, capital of Cuba, on Oct. 24, 2018. Cuba on Wednesday condemned a new U.S. "political maneuver" which seeks to undermine the island's international support to end the nearly six-decade economic blockade imposed by Washington just a week before the UN General Assembly votes on this topic. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)
HAVANA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cuba on Wednesday condemned a new U.S. "political maneuver" which seeks to undermine the island's international support to end the nearly six-decade economic blockade imposed by Washington just a week before the UN General Assembly votes on this topic.
In a press conference, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez rejected several documents circulated by the U.S. delegation to block a resolution Cuba will present at the UN to be voted for the 27th year on Oct. 31.
"Publishing these documents is a maneuver to manipulate the international community and public opinion," said the Cuban official.
Rodriguez said Washington looks to "pressure" other countries to vote against the resolution which last year was supported by 191 nations and opposed by only the United States and Israel.
"The U.S. government is trying to create greater tensions in our bilateral relations and promote a scenario of confrontation," he added.
Some of the phrases of the U.S. proposal seem written "by someone who has lost his mind," said Rodriguez, convinced that "most likely the (UN) Assembly rejects the amendments forcefully."
The senior government official said the documents circulated by the United States criticized Havana's human rights records and its efforts to attain the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
"It's unacceptable for the U.S. to talk about this when the economic blockade on our country is the biggest and most flagrant violation of human rights and qualifies as an act of genocide according to international conventions," he said.
Bilateral ties have suffered a "serious setback" after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in in 2017, as his administration chose to roll back thawing relations during the office of his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Last year Trump signed a presidential memorandum toughening U.S. policy towards Cuba, a document that prohibits U.S. companies from doing business with firms linked to Cuba's military, and restricts U.S. citizens' travel to the Caribbean nation.
Relations were also hampered by alleged "health attacks" on U.S. diplomats in the island which led to the partial closure of the U.S. embassy in Havana and the expulsion of 15 Cuban diplomats in Washington.
Over 20 U.S. diplomats and their family members reported symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, headaches and fatigue starting from November 2016.
For Havana, the issue has been "politicized" in order to justify Washington's retreat from thawing ties with it.
