In a press conference at the National Assembly, they repudiated the consequences of this policy on the Cuban people and the international community, denounced its extraterritorial impact, and advocated actions in France to reject it.

The parliamentarians, together with Cuban Ambassador Otto Vaillant and the former president of the Assembly’s France-Cuba Friendship Group, François-Michel Lambert, participated in a meeting within the framework of the presentation and debate of a new draft resolution on the necessity to end the US blockade at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

According to Arenas, the US-imposed blockade is contrary to the interests of the people and affects the work among countries to face challenges such as climate change.

The lawmaker asserted that the US blockade is equally contrary to France’s interests, so he called for joint efforts to demand its lifting.

Parliamentarians and associations must work together, and take advantage of the strength of civil society to act intelligently, lobby and raise people’s awareness, he told Prensa Latina when asked about what to do about Washington’s decision to ignore 30 years of UN resolutions such as the one being debated today, which will be voted on Thursday at the General Assembly.

For his part, Chassaigne highlighted the resistance of Cuba and its people and insisted that for more than one century US imperialism has tried to take over the Caribbean island.

He warned that Washington seeks to silence a country that defends an alternative to neoliberalism.

We wage this fight because Cuba could be our last chance to show that it is possible to build a socialist society and a model of democracy different from the Western one, the parliamentarian and communist leader noted.

Former Deputy Lambert also condemned the US blockade, and addressed the damage it causes to French companies, banks and citizens.

The environmentalist acknowledged Cuba’s solidarity with other nations, for which he stated that attacking the Caribbean island is attacking the world.

In his speech, Ambassador Vaillant thanked France for its support for Cuba and expressed his full confidence in a new victory on Thursday when the draft resolution on the necessity to end the US blockade, a policy described by the diplomat as cruel, unfair and inhuman, will be voted.

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