Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted on Monday that his country was going through a “very complicated situation” economically since the outbreak of the pandemic, accusing the United States of “suffocating” the island to bring down communist power.
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The head of state declared in an interview broadcast on state television: “They put us in a state of maximum pressure and economic strangulation to cause the downfall of the revolution and break the unity between the leaders and the people.”
“This translates into financial persecution, strengthening of the blockade, and a large-scale campaign of sabotage” by the United States on social networks “to discredit the revolution,” Mr. Díaz-Canel accused, describing the economic and social situation as “extremely complex.” “A country with a population of 11 million.
According to the head of state, who succeeded Raul Castro in 2018, the economic situation has particularly deteriorated since “the second half of 2019.”
The President successively referred to strengthening the US embargo – in place since 1962 – and including Cuba on the list of countries supporting terrorism, during the era of Donald Trump (2017-2021).
“We have been cut off from all other means of financing that we could have,” Mr. Díaz-Canel accused, adding that Joe Biden’s continuation of most of these coercive measures and the arrival of the pandemic had exacerbated the situation.
The head of state added, “Our main sources of income have been affected, which are remittances, tourism and imports (…) and the main problem we face is the limited availability of foreign exchange,” while the country cannot obtain loans from abroad. International Monetary Fund.
The Cuban President also responded to criticism of the timing chosen by the government to implement monetary reform, during the pandemic, accused of fueling inflation out of control – 45.8% between January and May, and 39% in 2022, according to official figures indicated by experts. We think they are underrated.
He declared: “We are neither closed nor extremists (…) We have a firm intention to correct (the situation) as soon as possible.”
Cuba is experiencing the worst economic crisis since the disappearance of Soviet support in the 1990s. The country is facing food, medicine and fuel shortages, as well as unprecedented mass migration.
Agricultural production fell by 35% between 2019 and 2023, and the government admitted in September that “practically 100%” of basic products were imported.
