New York, October 20, 2017. Education, sports and culture are inalienable rights for all Cubans during their lifetime. The Cuban government allocates a significant amount of financial and human resources annually to guarantee universal, equitable and free access to quality education for all Cubans. However, these efforts are directly affected by the effects of the US blockade against Cuba.
In the area of education, Cuba has suffered losses of 2,832,830 dollars between April 2016 and June 2017. The losses were mainly associated with the rise in freight rates for the import of school supplies from third countries to Cuba, due to the impossibility of purchasing them in the United States.
The blockade against Cuba also hinders the development of Cuban sports. Highest reported damages are due to the unnecessary payment of freight rates for the transportation of products purchased in distant markets; the lack or insufficiency of some learning resources and aids for teaching and research; the limited access to scientific information and computer tools required for the production of educational multimedia for the different levels of sports education; as well as the obstacles to receive payments for professional services provided abroad, among others. If Cuba could access the US sports equipment market, these equipment could be imported for a value from 20 to 25 percent lower than the prices paid nowadays.
The Cuban Revolution has maintained the protection and development of the nation´s tangible and intangible cultural heritage among its priorities; as well as the promotion and dissemination of knowledge, as key elements for achieving full social justice and development of the society. Significant resources have been allocated by the Cuban State to the development and dissemination of culture, despite the continuing obstacles imposed by the blockade. Only between April 2016 and June 2017, losses for the Cuban culture sector are estimated at no less than 35,314,000 dollars, representing an increase of 16 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.
The blockade hampers the proper promotion, dissemination and marketing of Cuba´s artistry, depresses sale prices of cultural products and services to very low values, and restricts the enjoyment of music and other Cuban artistic expressions by the international public, as a result of the control over art and music by the large transnationals, which are predominantly from the United States.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.