New York, October 28th, 2023.- Between March 2022 and February 2023, the damage caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on the Cuban education sector was estimated at $75,551,799.
In the National Education System, there are 1,315 institutions that require repair, calculating a total impact of 6,500,000 dollars. 12 hours without blocking are equivalent to the amount necessary to cover the needs of the education sector for this concept.
Difficulties remain in acquiring inputs for the production of books, brochures and other printed educational goods, which has made it impossible to have the texts of the third improvement of the national education system.
During the aforementioned period, more than 118,600 students, essentially preschool and first grade, were affected by not having complete learning notebooks in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics.
The Caribbean Newspaper and Publishing Companies stopped producing 76,900,000 notebooks, books, notebooks and medical prescriptions and 97,400,000 copies of the press. These effects were caused in part by the cancellation of a line of credit, associated with the decision of a Canadian mill to no longer produce for Cuba due to the blockade.
It is difficult to import batteries for hearing aids for students with this need, since the vast majority are made in the United States. Of 1,152 students with hearing disabilities, 920 need prostheses and, of them, 219 are affected by breakage of these devices.
The Cuban State makes a notable effort to subsidize 50% of the cost of school uniforms. However, the effects of the blockade are currently manifested in the shortage of raw materials for its manufacture and the improvement of school furniture.
The blockade prevented University College London from purchasing and shipping the computing equipment that was planned for a joint project with the “José Antonio Echeverría” University of Technology of Havana (CUJAE), because it was destined for a Cuban entity.
Students at the University of Computer Sciences cannot access more than 300 Internet sites of interest to computer scientists, as they are blocked for Cuban IP addresses, which prevents the download of resources to install or update technologies and makes it difficult to access academic, research and productive development of the University.
This and other effects are denounced in the Cuba Report pursuant to resolution 77/7 of the United Nations General Assembly entitled “Need to end the economic, financial and commercial blockade of the United States against Cuba”, which will be considered and put to a vote on November 1 and 2. Once again, the international community will raise its voice and overwhelmingly reject this unjust, illegal and cruel policy.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.