BRASILIA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira on Tuesday called on the United States to lift the trade embargo that has crippled Cuba's economy for decades, local media reported.
"It is evident that the severe sanctions unjustifiably imposed on Cuba, both due to the embargo and its inclusion on the list of 'State Sponsors of Terrorism,' have contributed even more to aggravating the situation," Vieira was quoted as saying in a speech at the UN headquarters in New York.
"These measures, which already unfairly penalize the Cuban people, now prevent an adequate response to the humanitarian crisis generated by Hurricane Oscar," said Vieira, referring to the storm that left at least seven people dead in Cuba and caused a series of blackouts.
Havana refers to the U.S. trade embargo imposed in 1961 as a blockade as it effectively blocks most countries from doing business with the island by penalizing such transactions. ■
