Havana, April 4.- The Government of Cuba guarantees the import of food from the regulated family basket, despite the restrictions imposed by the United States, said today the First Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex), Oscar Pérez. -Olive.
When speaking in the audiovisual space Desde La Presidencia, hosted by the President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel, Pérez-Oliva explained that the island's basic basket depends largely on the importation of products, and this process still suffers the effects of the post-pandemic recovery from Covid-19.
Likewise, the Caribbean nation suffers from the more than 240 economic measures imposed by Washington, as well as the inclusion in the unilateral list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
Even in these difficult conditions, the vice minister explained, the country has the availability of fundamental products such as rice until June, and wheat is contracted for bread for the months of April, May and part of June.
Milk is also guaranteed for children in April and May, and work is being done to ensure distribution in June; He announced that Mincex and the corresponding institutions are focused on ensuring that the products of the coming months also reach consumers.
The official insisted on the necessary improvement of coordination between the different organizations that participate in the distribution process, as well as being more timely in the information issue to make the situation known from the general to the local.
For his part, the Cuban president denounced that the limitations are imposed by the United States Government, because the people of the island maintain a close relationship with the American agri-food sector willing to collaborate, but the blockade laws prevent them from doing so.
Díaz-Canel condemned all the media manipulation on the problems that the country faces today, and stated that the insufficiencies that are shown in the space From the Presidency are not intended to bother the population or create more unrest, but rather to provide all the information timely and transparently on the most pressing problems of society.
HOW DOES THE BLOCKADE INFLUENCE THE PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE BASIC BASKET?
In his speech, the first vice minister of Mincex placed special emphasis on the negative implications that the economic, commercial and financial blockade has on the basic basket.
For example, the previous year, five foreign banks without prior notice refused to process transactions related to the purchase of food, resulting in delays of between 40 and 105 days for the products to be shipped to Cuba.
He clarified that food purchases in the United States are carried out in disadvantageous and highly insecure conditions, because they are subject to specific authorizations from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and these permits are not accurate and the country always needs to have second options. .
From the point of view of commercial operations with the northern nation, he explained that it is impossible to apply the terms of the international merchandise market, since contracts require payment in advance and the ships that transport them to the island's ports must return empty. .
He also added that the Caribbean nation tried to buy products in third countries with subsidiary companies of the United States and were denied that possibility. On the other hand, the relocation of markets increases freight prices and transportation time.
In 2023 alone, Havana had to pay an additional 19 million dollars for this concept, which represents four months of chicken distribution.
The distribution of the basket is also influenced by the high prices of products in the international market and the country's lack of access to international financial organizations.
He detailed that recently the country had 11 ships loaded with food in its ports that had not been able to begin their unloading process due to lack of financing for payment.
Pérez-Oliva thanked the solidarity of friendly governments such as Russia, China, Vietnam, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which collaborated with the delivery of products in donations or under advantageous commercial conditions. (Cubaminrex - PL)