Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Newcastle for bringing forward this motion on the longstanding economic, commercial and financial embargo levelled against Cuba. I want to acknowledge the presence of the Cuban ambassador, who is here with us today.

As the motion notes, in a reflection of the overwhelming international support for the end of the embargo, Australia joined with 186 other member states in voting again in support of the United Nations General Assembly resolution against the United States' longstanding blockade against Cuba. The reality of Cuba's achievements amidst the imposition of the longest and most strict blockade is remarkable, and it's these achievements that I want to highlight today—achievements that have persevered and endured despite this embargo and have shown the resilience and determination of the people of Cuba.

Cuba is a small island nation that lacks natural resources, suffers from regular catastrophic weather events and has had huge economic shocks to its access to markets and resources due to changes in global political events. It has suffered from underdevelopment arising from its colonial past and, of course, the most persistent impediment: the unilateral and overwhelming blockade imposed by the United States for decades, which regrettably continues today. Despite all this, Cuba's achievements in fields critical to all countries have often surpassed those of wealthy industrialised nations in the developed world whose geography, politics, history and economy have worked in their favour. A child born in Cuba today has more chance of survival than a child born in the United States, where infant mortality is on the rise annually as Cuba's continues to decline. Life expectancy in Cuba is higher than that of the United States. Cuba's literacy rate, thanks to its free, universal and exemplary education system, stands amongst the highest in the world. Cuba possesses a highly advanced biotechnology industry that has contributed to global medicine and science, the gains in which are shared by its people, its region and, indeed, the world. Cuban citizens enjoy the benefits of a health system that is free, universally accessible and with more doctors per capita than in the United States. And it provides more medical personnel to the developing world than all of the G8 countries combined, contributing significantly to global health aid efforts.

As we saw during the COVID pandemic, Cuba even contributed to the healthcare outcomes of G8 countries in Europe, COVID's epicentre, through requested medical intervention. Even as I speak, there are almost 500 health workers from Cuba across all specialities in hospitals across Italy's south, providing what Italian doctors describe as 'oxygen to their health system'. In fact, in the last parliament the Australia-Cuban parliamentary friendship group happily supported the nomination of Cuba's Henry Reeve Brigade for the Nobel Peace Prize, which may have been instrumental to these life-saving initiatives.

So despite this blockade of Cuba and the difficulties it has imposed on Cuba, a child born in Cuba today, a nation under embargo and sanctions, has more chances of survival, will live longer, will live a healthier life, will have more access to health care, will be more educated and will be more literate than a child born today in the United States, the richest and most powerful country in the world and which has subjected Cuba to siege, subversion and invasion. This is an extraordinary reality and an incredible scale of achievement that otherwise would have seen the collapse of any other country squaring off against odds which have the sole aim of unfairly hindering the development of the Cuban economy through decades of economic hardship. As the motion highlights, the embargo constitutes a serious and systemic violation of the norms of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The embargo remains to this day the key impediment to the development of the Cuban economy and to the welfare of its people. It impedes the global community's approach to peace and stability and to friendly relations and cooperation between nations and people, and even the ability of Australia's own citizens to trade bilaterally.

If we compare Cuba's achievements with those of neighbouring countries, and Cuba's influence across much of Latin and South America, we see that, despite the embargo and the economic isolation, Cuba has never been isolated from the global community. This is an attribute that attests to the determination and resilience of the people of Cuba. I would like this House to support this motion today and call for an end to and the lifting of the illegal embargo on Cuba.

See this speech in context