UN human rights experts on Aug. 6 condemned recent measures by the United States against Cuba, calling them attempts to "alter the constitutional order of a sovereign State through threats and coercion," and demanding that the Security Council and the General Assembly take action on the matter. Accusing the US of contraventions of Article 2 of the UN Charter, the experts warned that Cuba is at risk of becoming a "silent Gaza."

The newly instated sanctions target five Cuban entities and eight individuals, and raise further obstacles to fuel imports, even for humanitarian purposes. The new sanctions have affected several aspects of life in Cuba, with reports of uncollected waste piling up in Havana, growing food insecurity, increasing grid failures, and shortages of food, medicines and basic supplies. The independent experts emphasized: "Food must never be used as an instrument of political pressure."

Pressure on Cuba has been building throughout US President Donald Trump's second term. In January, the Trump administration imposed a national emergency allowing disruption of shipments of fuel to Cuba. This was issued on the grounds that Cuba is aligned with "numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States, including the Government of the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the Government of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah." In May, Trump also signed several sector-wide restrictions further tightening Cuba's lifeline to the outside world.

Last month, the US State Department released a report titled "Cuba: The Capital of 21st-Century Communism," stating that the country poses a "multifaceted" threat for the US. The UN experts observed that the report offers no concrete evidence that Cuba supports terrorism or subversive activity, and expressed concern that only political and ideological considerations appear to justify the imposition of coercive measures.

The UN has previously expressed concern over the growing US use of threats, coercive measures and judicial weaponization against Cuba. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned that the tightening sanctions cause widespread harm, calling for them to be lifted immediately. Türk cautioned that the measures are incompatible with the UN Guiding Principles for Business & Human Rights, asking private companies to avoid compliance with the sanctions.

The seven-decade US embargo of Cuba was discussed at the General Assembly last month, with several member states urging that the differences between the two states cannot be used to justify the collective punishment of the Cuban people.

From JURIST, Aug. 8. Used with permission.