The Mast, 20 July 2020. PRESIDENT Miguel Diaz-Canel says Cuba does not seek the world context and aggressive imperialist policy but “but we do not fear it”.
“A deep crisis is expanding internationally caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the definitive collapse of neoliberal paradigms imperialism has imposed, along with the abusive exercise of imperial hegemony, including permanent pressure on other governments, interference, violence, the threat of military intervention, the reactivation of the Monroe Doctrine, the obsession with Cuba and Venezuela, etc,” President Diaz-Canel noted. “Cuba has faced the escalation of the blockade, with constant financial persecution, freezing of bank accounts, actions to discredit Cuban officials, restrictions on remittances, sanctions against companies that maintain economic relations with our country, in addition to attempts to promote internal political opposition. We must be on battlefield footing.”
According his address to the Council of Ministers, as broadcast on Mesa Redonda Cuban TV programme, President Diaz-Canel presented a national strategy to strengthen the economy in the post-COVID-19 period – “a plan that defends an ideal, not an idea of perfection but the sum total of objectives to be met.”
“Cuba is again being challenged by the world context and aggressive imperialist policy. This is not what we seek, but we do not fear it. We have an inspiring history to take into the fight. Added to this is the talent of our scientists and health personnel that has placed us among the countries that have managed to control a terrible pandemic,” he said. “We were able and we will be. We were able to confront and control the pandemic, and we can and will be able to face the crisis. Be strong Cuba, we will continue to live, strengthen the economy and triumph. Long live Free Cuba!”
President Diaz-Canel explained that the national programme objectives focus on implementing agreements made at the last Communist Party of Cuba congress and meeting “the people’s demands that emerged from the policy guidelines debate, defeating the US blockade, facing the global crisis that neoliberalism and the coronavirus pandemic have exacerbated, and applying science and innovation to strengthen development, while upholding the socialist ideal as the only known path to prosperity with social justice”.
“Right now we are going to focus on food production, on food sovereignty, which entails important transformations in agriculture, incentives, credit, changes in marketing mechanisms, as well as in relations between state enterprises and other forms of management,” he said.
Among other key tasks President Diaz-Canel identified include, reordering internal trade, strengthening the socialist state enterprise, transforming the foreign investment environment, modifying the economy’s foreign exchange distribution system, increasing the participation of domestic industry as the main supplier of goods and services demanded by the economy, increasing and diversifying exports, improving and expanding the non-state sector, and eliminating the tax on US dollars.
He equally stressed need to channeling remittances toward economic development, increasing tax incentives for exporters, designing and implementing a plan to include the participation of various actors in the public debt market and completing tasks required to implement monetary and exchange rate unification.
“Within the difficult situation we have faced since the middle of last year, the government continues to seek solutions for the entire people and the common good. There are shortages but why? Among other things because of the blockade, because we cannot import everything we want, because credit is denied and fuel prevented from reaching the country,” President Diaz-Canel explained. “While facing these obstacles there are internal problems we must confront in a more decisive manner, like the selling of spots in lines; speculators who make our lives difficult; cases of corruption; the illegal currency market. But in this fight, we have the strength of the Revolution and the participation of the people. As a government, it is up to us to pay attention, to listen, to differentiate honest from malicious criticism, to argue and apply everything that can be helpful; this is the way to earn the trust of the majority and prove that everything we do is meant to save the country and move forward.”
He admitted Cuba had faced shortages recently of food, inputs and raw materials, as well as sanctions that have reduced foreign exchange earnings.
“Under these conditions, we have maintained productive activity; continued work on fundamental investment projects; and adopted measures to protect the entire population from the coronavirus pandemic. The health system has not collapsed and we have helped other countries,” President Diaz-Canel said. “The Revolution, over the course of its history, has proven its vocation for social justice. We owe it to the people. We respect and love them, and work for their well-being. Under these premises, we have set out to face the post-COVID-19 situation, not only to resist but to advance and become stronger.”
He said the economic and social strategy presented was directed toward creating a vigorous, innovative economy, “because in simple terms, developing the economy means offering the people greater wellbeing”. He said strategy to be implemented immediately, had taken into account both global and national circumstances, as well as proposals made by the population, by academics, “and even those who attack the Revolution”.
In matters of law and society, President Diaz-Canel said Cuba’s enemies relentlessly continue their search for ways to rupture “in our national unity, magnifying dissent with respect to equal marriage, racism, violence against women and the mistreatment of animals, matters which we are working seriously to resolve, centuries of ignored problems which only the Revolution has confronted”.
“It is essential to understand that our enemies are looking to open more fronts, attempting to overwhelm the capacity of our political and social institutions to resolve what is pending and counter these fallacies with strong arguments,” urged President Diaz-Canel. “We must be able to generate a communications strategy with adequate rigor and updated tools that reflect our reality and the uniqueness of our people. The most effective way to communicate, however, is to do things and do them well. Our enemies are working to sow despair and discouragement and are talking about ‘economic apartheid.’ But how is that possible in a country concerned that as much as possible reach everyone equally?”