"Cuban Democracy Act" (Helms-Burton Bill)

 

Doc. 7679 Revised

29 October 1996

 

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

presented by Mr CARVALHO and others

 

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.         The "Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Liberdad) Act", known as the Helms-Burton Bill, approved by the United States Congress against Cuba and in violation of international law, following the so-called "Torricelli-Bill", is a new and serious step in the blockade imposed on Cuba by the US Government more than 35 years ago.

2.         This bill is a clear interference in the state's sovereignty and harms the international trade agreements signed, namely, within the framework of GATT and the World Trade Organisation.

3.         It does not seem acceptable that the USA claim the right to apply their own internal legislation to companies and citizens not submitted to US law and order. This becomes the case when the law unilaterally provides for the application of sanctions to companies and citizens from other countries with economic relations with Cuba.

4.         This extra-territoriality hurts the sovereignty of third countries and constitutes a serious precedent in international trade relations.

5.         The attempt through the Helms-Burton Bill to increase the blockade on Cuba, giving it an international nature, aggravates the consequences of the economic sanctions unilaterally imposed by the United States on that country, the main victims of which are the Cuban people.

6.         The iniquity of the Helms-Burton Bill has already deserved condemnation by the European Union and the American States Organisation and has generated such generalised opposition and anxiety that the President of the United States has been constrained to postpone the enforcement of some of the legal articles.

7.         The Assembly,

i.          condemns the "Helms-Burton Bill" and in particular the dispositions unilaterally adopted by the USA involving an extra-territorial application of the bill;

ii.          exhorts the United States Government and Congress to render that bill null and void;

iii.         hopes that the US authorities will revise the economic blockade measures vis-à-vis Cuba;

iv.         defends the strengthening of the political dialogue with Cuba.

Signed: [1]

Carvalho, Portugal, GUE

Aguiar, Portugal, LDR

Dias, Portugal, SOC

Diaz de Mera, Spain, EPP

Filimonov, Russia, UEL

Glotov, Russia, UEL

Guirado, Spain, SOC

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Luis, Portugal, SOC

Martins, Portugal, SOC

Melnikov, Russia, UEL

Oleinik, Russia, UEL

Petersen, Denmark, UEL

Roseta, Portugal, LDR

Ziuganov, Russia, UEL

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[1].           SOC : Socialist Group

                EPP : Group of the European People's Party

                EDG : European Democratic Group

                LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

                UEL : Group of the Unified European Left