BRICS Leaders Call for End to Economic Blockade of Cuba

Leaders of the BRICS group of nations have called for an end to the decades-long economic blockade of Cuba, according to a report by the Russian news agency TASS.

TASS reported that BRICS leaders expressed "deep concern" over the situation relating to Cuba, citing what they described as the tightening of unilateral blockade measures against the country.

The statement, as cited by TASS, did not specify which member states initiated the language or provide further details on the scope of the measures referenced. TASS did not indicate whether the statement named the United States, which has maintained a longstanding trade embargo on Cuba since the early 1960s.

BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa among its founding members and has since expanded to include additional countries, has periodically issued joint statements on international issues during its summits.

The call for ending the blockade aligns with previous positions taken by the United Nations General Assembly, which has for decades passed resolutions urging the United States to lift its embargo on Cuba, though such resolutions are non-binding.

TASS did not report any immediate response from the United States or Cuba to the BRICS statement.

Further details on the full text of the BRICS statement, including specific measures referenced and the timeline for the tightening of the blockade cited by the group, were not included in the TASS report.