Cuban President Diaz-Canel Grants Interview to Spain’s Publico Daily
HAVANA, Aug 7th (ACN) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel granted an interview Friday to journalist Pascual Serrano from Spain’s Publico Daily.The head of state answered Serrano’s questions in writing particularly about Cuba’s economic performance in the post-pandemic era; the US blacklisting of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism; and the president’s most recent meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping, among other issues.
Diaz-Canel referred to the accusation by the former Donald Trump administration about alleged sonic attacks against US diplomats in Havana, which he described as a slanderous operation aimed at dismantling the links between the two countries, achieved under the Barack Obama administration.
Although US intelligence agencies denied the alleged sonic attacks later, the hostile US policy against Cuba is still there, the head of state noted.
As to the US’s blacklisting of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Cuban President said that former US President Donald Trump took that decision shortly before concluding his term of office, so it’s been the Biden administration that has enforced the consequences of such measure.
It is a sharply aggressive measure causing Cuba the loss of relations with important world financial and banking institutions and making it difficult to establish links with others, thus hindering the island’s economic performance, and financial operations and making imports more costly, while limiting credit lines.
Such impact translates into shortages, and difficulty to access raw materials for the local industry and consumer goods, while discouraging foreign investment and hindering international cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Cuban President and First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party described as warm and deep his recent meeting with China’s Xi Jinping; he added that Xi prioritizes relations with Cuba and recognizes the role of the historic Cuban leadership in forging bilateral Cuba-China friendly relations.
Diaz-Canel said that he also held important meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, which were marked by a common willingness to strengthen bilateral relations in all sectors.
As to the Cuba-European Union relations, he said such links are based on an Accord for Political Dialog and Cooperation, which has allowed to advance political and cooperation relations with a significant impact on the island’s economic development.
Diaz-Canel acknowledged the European Union’s support of the Cuban resolution annually submitted to the US General Assembly demanding the end of the US economic, commercial, and financial blockade of the island nation and its crystal-clear stance in favor of the withdrawal of Cuba from the US list of alleged states sponsors of terrorism.
The head of state addressed the performance of the Cuban tourism sector after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that up to 2019 tourism showed important results for Cuba, but with the pandemic, the sector underwent a serious decline at the world level, particularly in 2020.
The Cuban President said that the situation of the tourist sector in Cuba cannot be compared to other nations because the island has been hit by an over-60-year US economic blockade, reinforced with some 243 measures aimed at damaging the country’s economy and tourism in particular.
Diaz-Canel said that there is no clue that the US’s hostile Cuba policy will end in the short run, so Cuba’s decision is to jump over the hurdles posed by the US blockade and keep going ahead.
