The U.S. blockade for more than half a century has cost Cuba $1.66 trillion USD, announced Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez when presenting a report on the damages of blockade to his country.

Calculated rigorously and conservatively, based on the depreciation of the dollar against gold, the blockade has cost Cuba $ 1.66 trillion USD until the end of 2011.

Economic damages are extraordinary, and an overwhelming burden for a small economy such as Cuba's, he added when he released the report of Cuba on Resolution 66/6 of the UN General Assembly "Need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba."

The blockade is undoubtedly the main cause of the economic problems of our country and the main obstacle to economic and social development, said the Cuban diplomat.

"The United States has responded to the global call to cease the blockade by tightening," he stressed after stating that President Barack Obama has applied it extensively and hardened the terms of its implementation.

Washington, he continued, has increased harassment and persecution of financial operations, including those conducted in currencies other than the dollar.

During the Obama administration (since 2009) fines for sanctions exceeded $ 2 billion USD which include penalties based on the blockade to Cuba and other countries.