U.S. pressuring other gov'ts to isolate Cuba, says Cuban diplomat

HAVANA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has been pressuring governments around the world to end bilateral healthcare programs with Cuba, according to Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio.

The impact of ending these programs has been "to deprive many communities of access to health services," he wrote on Facebook Wednesday.

The United States is also pressuring other governments to change their traditional stance against the U.S. economic blockade and even to refuse to discuss the issue at the UN, he said.

It is already successfully pressuring other governments to comply with the ban issued by Washington on exporting fuel to Cuba, he added.

Cuban authorities have repeatedly denounced Washington's energy blockade as an act of genocide and a form of collective punishment that causes extended daily blackouts, transportation shortages, and obstacles to economic activity.

Over the past six months, Cuba, which relies heavily on fuel imports, has received only one oil tanker, the Russian Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying approximately 100,000 tonnes of crude oil.

According to official sources, Cuba requires about eight fuel tankers per month to operate normally.