WASHINGTON’S economic blockade against Cuba is unjust, World Health Organisation representative Cristian Morales told Prensa Latina news agency yesterday.

He attacked US President Donald Trump’s declaration on Monday that he plans to renew the sanctions regime against Cuba through the notorious Trading with the Enemy law.

Mr Morales said: “This policy affects the development and health of the Cuban people and obliges the national authorities to make double and triple efforts to keep the equipment running and guarantee the medicines that are needed.”

Though the island produces a good amount of its own products, “sometimes it needs raw material which comes from abroad,” at which point the blockade becomes a hindrance to both the nation’s health and development and forces it to pay more for bare necessities.

“Therefore, we join the majority position of the countries at the time of the historic vote in the general assembly of the United Nations,” said Mr Morales.

Sergei Kalashnikov, the president of the Russian-Cuban Co-operation Group reaffirmed Moscow’s support to Cuba during this difficult time, adding that launching an “economic war” against Cuba “will not bring anything good for the United States either.”

Bolivian President Evo Morales tweeted: “The empire wants to subject the whole world to its capitalist politics, but the brave Cuban people resist and give an example of dignity.”

Cuba has suffered an annual loss of $4 billion (£3bn) due to the blockade, its ambassador to Russia, Gerardo Penalver Portal, told the media.

Havana will take this fight to the UN general assembly next month.