Left I on the News

A few days ago, the U.N. voted for the 15th consecutive year to condemn the U.S. blockade of Cuba, by the resounding vote of 183-4. Only the opposition of the American ("American" as in "residents of the U.S.A.") people is ever going to actually end the blockade however, given the complete disregard of the United States government for international opinion, or international law for that matter.

In that regard, it's essential for Americans to understand the price they are paying for this blockade. Among those costs are the cost to health care and scientific research, as exemplified by something happening this week in Havana:

A dozen US researchers were unable to attend the International Congress "Biotecnología 2006," with sessions continuing in this capital Wednesday, after being denied permission from the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

So is this some unimportant conference in a third-world country, and those dozen U.S. scientists were just looking for an excuse for a tropical vacation? Hardly - the conference brought together nearly 600 participants from 40 countries. And what kind of knowledge did they come to share? Here's an example:

The forum presented on Tuesday a new synthetic product with anti-tumoral properties patented by a team of Cuban scientists from the Havana-based Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB).

According to Granma daily, the first phase of the clinical test in 31 uterine-cancer patients has already been completed, and it was further evidenced that secondary reactions are minor when compared to conventional therapies.

So, if you or anyone in your family ever suffers or dies from uterine cancer, you may have the U.S. government to "thank."

American businesspeople who are losing potential profits by being unable to trade with Cuba are practically the only Americans (outside of leftists such as myself) to raise their voices against the blockade. It's time for the scientific community, and for all Americans, to add their voices and put a stop to this inhumane policy.