Cuba denounces US aggressions that have a negative impact on the computerization policy of the island

New York, 29 April 2019.Cuba attended today the 41st Session of the United Nations Committee on Information, where Ambassador Humberto Rivero Rosario highlighted that the island is making progress on the process of computerization of its society, thanks to the political will of the Cuban government, despite the illegal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States, which persists and intensifies with new unilateral and illegal sanctions such as the implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which will have a negative impact on Cuban development programs in that field.

The diplomat released data showing the development of the Caribbean island in the computerization sector: there are 678 navigation rooms, with 2,259 navigation spots in hotels and other entities; there are 981 public WI-FI navigation areas in the country covering all the existing municipalities and also another 423 WI-FI areas of other entities that provide Internet access service to the public, for a total of 1,404 public areas; there are more than 2 million permanent Internet navigation accounts  through the Cuban "NAUTA" platform to have access to email and Internet navigation services, offered by ETECSA, the public operator in Cuba, and since September 2017 home Internet access service has been provided, as well as the commercialization of mobile phone Internet services with different options of data offers, which to date has a total of more than two million users.

The representative of the island, reiterated before the UN Committee on Information, the total rejection and condemnation of the permanent radio and television aggression by the United States Government against Cuba, which is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and several provisions of the International Telecommunication Union. He explained that on average, during the year 2018, 1,653 hours a week were illegally broadcasted to Cuba from the United States territory through 20 frequencies; while between January and February of 2019, on average, 1,676.30 hours a week were illegally broadcasted to Cuba through 20 frequencies.

He also rejected the announcement by the Department of State, on January 23, 2018, of the decision to convene an "Internet Task Force", composed of US government officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations, aiming at promoting in Cuba a "free and unregulated flow of information". This, Rivero Rosario said, constitutes a flagrant violation of Cuban sovereignty and an attempt to manipulate the Internet to carry out illegal programs for political and subversion purposes.

Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations