Articles

Sep

2026

Cuba: a strengthened UNESCO, closer to peoples, is essential to addressing challenges such as the blockade

Paris, September 15, 2026. The Permanent Delegation of Cuba to UNESCO took the floor at the meeting of the Preparatory Group for the 225th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, held on September 14 and 15 at UNESCO Headquarters.

During the consideration of the item concerning the implementation of the UNESCO80 Roadmap, the Cuban representative, Third Secretary Laura Álvarez Delgado, highlighted the work carried out by the Director-General, the Secretariat and the Chairs of the working groups responsible for its development.

She noted that, for Cuba, a country facing the consequences of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, UNESCO's decisions have a concrete impact on the lives of its people. The blockade affects the country's capacity to address challenges in areas directly linked to the Organization's mandate, including education, culture, science, communication and access to knowledge.

Sep

2026

Cuban Ambassador to UNESCO receives Algerian Ambassador on a courtesy visit

Paris, September 11, 2026.- The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Cuba to UNESCO, María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, received H.E. Mr. Abdelghani Merabet, the new Ambassador of Algeria to the Organization, on a courtesy visit.

Sep

2026

Blockade vs. education: besieged Cuba stands out in the debate on the present and future of literacy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Chiapas, Mexico, September 9, 2026.- Cuba’s Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, participated this Wednesday in the session “Literacy for today and tomorrow in Latin America and the Caribbean,” held as part of the World Conference on “Literacy for People, the Planet and Prosperity,” taking place in Chiapas, Mexico, on September 8 and 9, convened by UNESCO and the Government of Mexico.

During its participation in the global event, the Cuban delegation denounced the reality facing the country in guaranteeing the continuity of its universal and free education system as a result of the brutal economic, commercial, financial and energy blockade imposed by the United States. The tightening of these measures over more than six decades, together with the current energy siege, has aggravated the country’s economic difficulties and directly affects the human, material, economic and financial resources required for the proper functioning of the education system.

Sep

2026

Cuba reaffirms its leadership in the global debate on literacy

Chiapas, Mexico, September 8, 2026.— Cuba’s Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, spoke on Tuesday at the main panel, “Literacy in the service of people, the planet and prosperity,” as part of the global celebration of International Literacy Day convened by UNESCO.

Cuba’s presence in this international forum is not fortuitous. It reflects the recognition of the country’s accumulated experience in literacy, whose starting point lies in the historic 1961 National Literacy Campaign. That educational epic made it possible for Cuba to declare itself, on December 22 of that year, the first territory free of illiteracy in Latin America. UNESCO itself has recognized the National Literacy Campaign as a landmark event in Cuban education and culture in the 20th century and as a reference for popular education movements in Latin America.

Cuba’s achievements in education are today confronted with the harsh electro-energy reality facing the country, as a consequence of the unprecedented tightening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States against Cuba for more than six decades, and of its effects on access to resources, equipment, technologies and other means essential to the teaching and educational process.

Sep

2026

Cuba: Education as a Commitment to the Future

Havana, September 1, 2026. – Cuba has begun the 2026–2027 school year, reaffirming once again the priority the country places on education and on the development of future generations.
The national opening ceremony took place at the Rafael María de Mendive School, an institution closely associated with the memory of José Martí, National Hero of Cuba, and was presided over by the President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
Against a backdrop of significant economic and energy-related difficulties, the beginning of the new school year represents a collective effort involving teachers, students, families, communities, and institutions. Preparing the necessary conditions to ensure the continuity of educational activities has required creativity, commitment, and the capacity to respond to current challenges.

Articles

Pages