On the opening day on Thursday at the Brussels headquarters of the European Parliament, the prosecution introduced its argument in the process, followed by the testimonies of witnesses, who denounced with specific cases the damage that Washington causes to Cuba and the consequences for companies and citizens from third countries.
Cuban mothers who have children with cancer offered statements about the difficulties that the Cuban government faces in acquiring key medications in the treatments for their youngsters.
The US-based organization Puentes de Amor shared with the international court the obstacles in its humanitarian work, while the French association CubaCoop explained how difficult it is to transfer money to Cuba, to carry out cooperation projects for local socioeconomic development.
Also, Spanish and Italian businessmen denounced the policy applied by Washington, which in addition to stifling Cuba’s economy, increases the costs of its commercial activities, causes the closure of accounts, and severely attacks competitiveness.
The main judge of the case, the German expert in International Law, Norman Paech, announced that the court, which was convened by political, social, and legal organizations from Europe and the United States, will seek to identify whether the blockade violates international laws and which of them are transgressed due to its extraterritorial reach.
“We will analyze whether or not the United States complies with the principles of peaceful coexistence, human rights, International Law, the agreements of the World Trade Organization and the Laws of the European Union,” he said.
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