Although Cuba and China reached 65 years of diplomatic relations, the ties date back to the 19th century, when the first Chinese citizens arrived in the Antillean nation
Havana, Jan 7 (Radio Habana Cuba) Cuba and China have renewed their commitment to the friendship and collaboration between both countries, in the context of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.
In this sense, Cuban ambassador Alberto Blanco held a meeting with Zhang Run, the Director General of the Latin America and the Caribbean Department at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Both parties ratified their dedication to uphold the agreement reached at the highest level and to progress in the development of a shared future.
Despite the fact that diplomatic relations reach their 65th anniversary, the ties date back to the nineteenth century, when the first Chinese citizens arrived in the Antillean nation.
On September 2, 1960, in the presence of over a million Cubans, Fidel Castro called for severing ties with the government of Taiwan and establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, led by Mao Zedong.
On the 28th of September of that year, Cuba was the first nation in Latin America and the Caribbean to establish diplomatic relations with the newly established China, which opened the door for other countries in the region to engage with the Asian nation.
In 2024, bilateral relations were revitalized, with both countries strengthening their cooperation and traditional friendship through a series of visits and initiatives.
Beijing has repeatedly expressed its backing for the island in its struggle against the U.S. embargo, and has called for its removal from the list of nations designated by Washington as sponsors of terrorism. (Source: Prensa Latina)
Havana, Jan 7 (Prensa Latina) Groups of friendship and solidarity with Cuba have been carrying out activities in this capital to support the revolutionary process and to reject the United States’ policy of coercion against the Caribbean nation, as part of a program that continues on Tuesday.
The “Cruz del Sur” International Brigade of Solidarity with Cuba began the 40th edition of these visits to this country, the website Siempre Con Cuba noted in a post on X.
According to the publication, “Cruz del Sur” received precise information on the foreign policy of the United States administrations and their relationship with the Caribbean nation through a specialized keynote speech by researcher Hassan Perez, from the University of Havana.
Previously, the group’s thirteen members, from Australia and New Zealand, were received by the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples (ICAP)’s board of directors at the Havana Friendship House.
The organizers stated that the program, which is active until January 23, includes exchanges in communities, workplaces, and socio-cultural projects in Havana, Matanzas, and Pinar del Rio provinces.
ICAP President Fernando Gonzalez stressed the importance of their presence at a time of great complexity for Cuba, which is resisting the obstacles to the economy and daily life caused by the cruel policies of the United States since 1959.
Havana, January 5 (Radio Habana Cuba) — The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, congratulated the members of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) this Sunday, on the 66th anniversary of the creation of that internal order institution. Through the social network X, the head of state sent a hug to the PNR fighters, born –he said– from the Rebel Army and seasoned in 66 years of confronting crime and defending citizen tranquility.
“Their history is the history of the Cuban Revolution, of its challenges and its victories,” added the Cuban leader.
The Prime Minister Manuel Marrero also conveyed recognition to the work of those who are part of the institution, whom he described as “blue heroes” and guardians of internal order and citizen tranquility.
The PNR was established on January 5, 1959, at the initiative of then-commander Raúl Castro, head of the Second Eastern Front Frank País García.
Currently, its fundamental mission is focused on the preservation of public order, citizen tranquility, and road safety.
Established in 2021, the Five Oceans Club is a gathering of individuals who share a passion for the seas and oceans, embarking on expeditions and contributing to scientific research on the challenges facing these global ecosystems
Havana, Jan 6 (Radio Habana Cuba) Russian sea expeditioners will share in Cuba their experiences from their recent voyage across the global oceans, as part of the naval initiative for the conservation of these ecosystems.
The Russian initiative, titled «Five Oceans», will host a meeting with Cuban scientists and the public, at the capital’s Quinta de los Molinos, a former botanical garden that has been transformed into a scientific and cultural hub.
The members of the expedition will share their experiences of venturing to the most inaccessible regions of the world, as well as their reflections on the customs and landscapes of diverse nations.
The primary goal of this endeavor is to highlight the significance of the ocean as a conduit for fostering connections between individuals, cultures, and nations.
The project began its voyage in Tenerife in November, and after a 20-day crossing of the Atlantic, it arrived in the Caribbean, docking in Saint Lucia, on the Atlantic Race Cruising.
In Cuba, the ship docked in the central province of Cienfuegos on December 21st. After its visit to the largest island in the Antilles, it will continue its journey through the Caribbean and Latin America, before crossing the Panama Canal in March.
Established in 2021, the Five Oceans Club is a gathering of individuals who share a passion for the seas and oceans, embarking on expeditions and contributing to scientific research on the challenges facing these global ecosystems.
The club’s visit to Cuba is supported by the Russian House of the Havana Historian’s Office, the Russian Embassy in Cuba, the Cuban Environment Agency, and other organizations. (Source: Prensa Latina)
Havana, January 5 (Radio Habana Cuba) — With the premise that brotherhood and solidarity between Puerto Rico and Cuba cannot be silenced or blocked, the Puerto Rican Solidarity Committee (CSC) worked intensively in 2024 and will remain active throughout 2025.
They stated this in a letter sent to Radio Habana Cuba by Milagros Rivera Pérez, President of the CSC, and Solimar Ortiz Jusino, Coordinator of the organization’s Communication Commission, who in turn promote all kinds of initiatives in their territory for the decolonization of Puerto Rico, using the Cuban Revolution as a reference.
Milagros Rivera Pérez, President of the CSC
For the Committee’s leadership, the main action revolves around the establishment of the Juan Rius Rivera Brigade, which is about to reach its 34th edition and will visit the Greater Antilles from April 17 to May 3, 2025, with activities symbolizing the challenge to the blockade and exchanges with the Cuban people. To this end, they hold meetings, discussions, and commemorations of anniversaries throughout the year, during which they share the reality of Cuba and collect donations to deliver to the people.
Commemoration event for Carlos Muñiz Varela, to remember his assassination that occurred on April 28, 1978.
“Every 17th of the month, we carry out actions against the blockade of Cuba, and on the 17th of February 2024, we will hold a grand Bohemia dedicated to the former political prisoner for the defense of Cuba, Ana Belén Montes, celebrating the birthdays of Julia de Burgos and Blanca Canales, as well as collecting solidarity aid for Cuban children that the Brigade will deliver,” says the text of the letter.
In 2024, the Brigade traveled to Cuba from July 13 to 29, staying for 11 days at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp in the Artemisa municipality of Caimito and also in Matanzas. The contingent was made up of a cultural delegation, with the Patria y Cultura group, along with young women members of the Colectiva Feminista en Construcción. They also participated in the July 26 events in the province of Sancti Spiritus and, for the third time, held a meeting with President Miguel Díaz-Canel on July 25, marking 126 years since the Yankee invasion of Puerto Rico. Upon their return, they celebrated the birthday of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro on August 13, establishing the Coordinating Committee of the 34th Brigade, which will travel to Cuba in April 2025. They also honored Juan Rius Rivera on August 26 and held the usual Brigadistas Meeting with an exchange between members of different editions of the brigade.
Additionally, they commemorated national activities with the patriotic dates of September 23, Day of the Grito de Lares, and October 30, 1950 Revolution, in which solidarity with Cuba and the fight for just causes around the world were highlighted.
On October 10, they joined the World Solidarity Day with Cuba, and from October 25 to the present, they have been running the Christmas Without Blockade for Cuba campaign, gathering more solidarity aid to repair the damage caused by hurricanes Oscar and Rafael and to contribute to the World Marathon of Love for Cuba that will take place in 2025.
They combine this action with political activism on social media: “We set as a goal to break the media bubble in which they want to keep the Caribbean and the information blockade against Cuba.” We have successfully created a YouTube channel for CSC, Puerto Rico with Cuba, a weekly presence on Cuban television with the program Somos Caribe, and a digital magazine with the same name, to create content that reaches thousands of subscribers. “We have more than 360 videos hosted there,” the letter states, adding that they have a magazine in blog format, which contains over 1000 articles on various topics aimed at highlighting the solidarity struggles in the Caribbean.
For the New Year 2025, they plan to increase the content on all their platforms and maintain the campaign to end the blockade on Cuba and remove it from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which the United States government unjustly keeps on the list to increase the criminalization of the revolution.
Thus, it concludes: “In short, we summarize that we have been consistently working in favor of the Cuban revolution, with 33 solidarity brigades in open defiance of imperial laws, information campaigns, and actions to break the blockade.” We maintain that political and economic solidarity between friendly governments and peoples is the key to defeating the criminal siege policies against Cuba.
Rome, 4 January (Prensa Latina) Friendship groups in Italy today reaffirmed their support for the Cuban people who, in the midst of difficulties, are fighting to defend their achievements, as part of the celebrations to mark the 66th anniversary of their Revolution.
The celebration of the anniversary of the Revolution is not only a remembrance of the past, but also a call for unity for a common future”, the National Association of Italian-Cuban Friendship (Anaic) stresses in a statement shared on social media.
The Anaic underlines that despite US aggression against this process, with an economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed for more than six decades, Cuba’s achievements have been recognized internationally and serve as an example of what can be achieved through a genuine commitment to the welfare of the people.
The Cuban Revolution remains a symbol of resilience and hope. In this new year, Cubans have the opportunity to continue writing their own history, guided by the principles that have shaped their national identity. The struggle continues and with it the promise of a better future for all, Anaic asserts.
Meanwhile, in an article published in the Faro di Roma daily, Professor Luciano Vasapollo points out that the construction of a socialist society in Cuba after the revolutionary triumph of 1 January 1959 remains a point of reference for progressive movements worldwide.
The heroic resistance of the Cuban people is an example for humanity, he adds, despite the blockade imposed by US imperialism and Washington’s infamous inclusion of Cuba in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, a measure aimed at increasing pressure on the island.
Vasapollo, current coordinator of the Italian section of the Network for the Defense of Humanity, expressed in the article that on this anniversary, the Cuban Revolution is not only reaffirmed as a historical event, but also as an example for the rest of the world.
The Communist Refoundation Party, among other Italian social and political groups, also sent a message to mark the anniversary of the revolutionary triumph in Cuba, as did various associations of Cuban nationals living in this country, whose members reaffirmed their commitment to supporting their people.
Jan 1 (Radio Habana Cuba) It has been a difficult year. Cuba, despite everything, continues to rise and move forward. Photo: Abel Padrón Padilla/ Cubadebate.
We are not going to give up the desire for us to be happy. We are not going to give up fighting for us to achieve happiness. No condition will make us relent in our efforts. I know that many people think that way. It doesn’t matter how minimal what is achieved with shared effort is. One step is enough to take another. That’s why, now that the year 2025 is about to begin, I present here “Desiderata from the crisis.”
May the family be that feeling of unity, of benevolent complicity, that originates and nourishes it. May each family member be a builder of support, a solver of problems, a conqueror of difficulties. No matter how much physical distance is created. It doesn’t matter how much diversity of perspectives it contains. The family is not a unit of opinions, but a unit of respect, of noble feelings. Differences do not create antagonisms. Antagonisms arise from inadequate ways of dealing with differences.
May feelings of familiarity extend to meet the neighbor, to those who share the community space. May hard times not diminish that sacred duty. May scarcity not become a lack of clarity in what is essential. The family’s food should not be lacking, and although it does not replace bread, it aligns with the principle of sharing, of empathetically taking on the search for solutions.
That we are capable of taking responsibility for our environment, for the living space in which we live and that gives us life. That we think we are not alone in the world (in our city, our neighborhood, in the place where we live) and that each of our actions impacts other people. The world we see is how we have made it. He speaks not only of how it is, but also, and much more, of how we are. Even the smallest effort counts, because it is impossible not to feel addressed by the solid waste, saturating corners, buildings on the verge of collapsing under the weight of events. There is also a lot of social indiscipline, inconsideration, mistreatment, violence, prejudices of all kinds, perhaps invited by the situations being experienced. But being invited is not a sufficient reason to accept such a degrading invitation.
The blockade does exist and must cease now. But there is also negligence, apathy, incompetence, bureaucracy, and so many other societal dysfunctions that take advantage of the crisis to unleash themselves. Getting rid of them is more within our reach.
Let us be transparent in expressing our desires, without confusing desires with anxiety. May our desires never run out. May we always want to improve. Knowing how to project discontent into reparative paths, in the construction of a harmonious, equitable social fabric, is an existential wisdom that exudes peace, nobility, and justice. The human world stands out for its differences. If we embrace them to exclude, we build suffering. If we do it to empower, we will have an unbeatable potential for development. Let political speeches be fewer barricades and more bridges. That they are closer to construction than to the ideal model, closer to the present without neglecting the future. Without today, tomorrow cannot be built. Let us take on a rationality that rejects any form of exploitation, intrusion, invasion, or genocide. The world is enough for everyone, and if we make it produce to distribute properly, it is capable of feeding with the prudence of what is necessary.
May the decisions we make, whatever they may be, be consensual. That they are not based on mere impulse. When we act on impulse, we throw ourselves into a minefield of possible mistakes that ends in useless lamentations. Better than rushing is anticipating, being able to evaluate the costs and benefits. Well-reasoned decisions are not only smarter but also more effective. Everything has a cost. What is achieved without effort is a gift. And from gifts, neither true commitment, nor a sense of belonging, and much less the satisfaction of having achieved what we set out to do, are born. One must not evade or avoid. We must confront and face the harshness of life, especially when it is marked by deep complexities.
Even while navigating a difficult year, marked by hardships and a shortage of basic services, may we be able to preserve human sensitivity, solidarity, honesty, respect, and integrity. May the rules and social pacts be followed diligently, because indiscipline is chaos; disintegration, an open door.
That even while going through a difficult year, marked by hardships and the scarcity of basic services, we are able to preserve human sensitivity, solidarity, honesty, respect, and integrity. May the norms and social pacts be followed diligently, because indiscipline is chaos; disintegration, an open door to the worst degradations of human essence. Let us not be caught up by greed, selfishness. Only in this way will the spiritual culture of the nation survive, only in this way will we continue to have independence and sovereignty, because only in this way will we continue to feel the pride of being Cuban.
There is no need to wait for epiphanies. It’s worth taking on challenges and facing them with determination. The only possible miracle is the one that arises from the human capacity to overcome obstacles and grow with each attempt. Face difficulties and live with dignity. Do not stray for any reason from the endless path of shared happiness, because there is no true happiness where some achieve it and others suffer for not being able to reach it. Hope seems to hide in times of crisis, to fade away in its condition of utopia, and to dissolve among the impossible. But it is, above all, a prelude that brings happiness to those who fight for life and only disappears in those who give up. Let hope come, even if it is accompanied by a certain rational pessimism, but never devoid of the optimism of feelings, of will.
A wish from the crisis is possible, because hope, family unity, and the defense of values are an incomparably greater force than any other that wants to end it.
Colombo, Jan 3 (Prensa Latina) Representatives of Sri Lankan organizations visited the Cuban embassy to express their solidarity with the Caribbean nation and greet it on the 66th anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution, diplomatic sources informed today.
Ambassador Andres Gonzalez received the leaders of the Friendship Association, the Communist Party (CPSL), and the Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) at the diplomatic mission.
Also, congratulations messages have been sent from Sri Lanka to Cuba on the 66th anniversary of the Cuban revolutionary process.
At a previous event, chaired by the Cuban Ambassador, the Minister of Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development, Wasantha Samarasinghe, thanked Cuba for its example and fraternity and wished its government and people success.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Democratic Left Front (LDF) reiterated its call to end the US blockade against Cuba in a message signed by its general secretary Vasudeva Nanayakakara.
The Sri Lankan organization praised the Cuban government and people for their steadfast resistance against imperialist aggression.
The Sri Lankan Bolivarian Solidarity group called the Cuban Revolution a heritage of the anti-imperialist world and highlighted Fidel Castro’s leading role in the Caribbean island.
Sri Lanka’s National Freedom Front highlighted Cuba’s achievements in science and health in a message signed by its top leader, former parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa, to President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
Havana (Prensa Latina) In 2024, Cuba faced big challenges related to disasters, the tightening of unilateral coercive measures, and its own internal deficiencies, although its will to continue to fight did not give up.
By Melissa King Smith, from the National Editorial Team
The Caribbean island maintains a strong political and governmental stance focused on overcoming economic difficulties, as well as resuming the path of growth and development.
In order to exploit its potential at full capacity, the implementation of the Government’s projections to correct distortions and boost the economy continued, a strategy to face the challenges arising from an external economic war and an exacerbated global financial crisis.
According to Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, although we are starting to see the results thanks to the measures taken so far, the outcome is still insufficient, “but we are not sitting on our hands.” As encouraging signs of the actions put into practice, the head of State mentioned the improvement in agricultural production this year, higher sowing volumes (the best in the last 10 years), and the reduction of the fiscal deficit with systematic work and technical rigor.
One of the most complex situations that Cuba went through in 2024 was the three-time collapse of the National Power System due to its vulnerability and shortage of fuel.
In this regard, the president explained at the 4th Ordinary Session of the National People’s Power Assembly in its 10th Legislature that a strategy was launched to expand the use of renewable energies and improve the generation capacity.
He pointed out that these actions will allow using fuels better and allocating a significant part of them to the domestic production of goods and services, which is expected to reduce imports.
Cuba also approved a financing scheme in foreign currency to support the domestic oil industry in order to increase oil and gas production.
Before more than 400 lawmakers, Díaz-Canel expressed certainty that one day we will overcome the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States and Cuba’s inclusion in the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list (according to Washington), “but the reality is that we are still under the effects of both aggressive measures.”
Díaz-Canel pointed out that the weight of global circumstances on the performance of the domestic economic should not be underestimated, and emphasized that this forces the Cuban revolutionary leadership to exercise more responsibility and self-criticism to maximize results and reduce the obstacles that impede progress.
In his opinion, progress must be made in macroeconomic stabilization, in tax discipline, in linking the state and non-state sectors to contribute to national development, as well as taking advantage of the potential to promote exports of goods and services.
CUBA VS THE US BLOCKADE
This year, amidst various difficult and emergency situations, the hostile US policy continued, including the unilateral inclusion of Cuba in the SSOT list.
According to the head of State, in these months, the essence of this criminal and genocidal blockade and the multidimensional war that we face was confirmed.
“Yes, there is a blockade; yes, the blockade has been intensified; yes, there is an economic war; yes, they despise us; yes, they poison us vulgarly, obscenely and full of hate on social networks,” he stressed at the 9th Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Díaz-Canel indicated at the party meeting that Cuba is willing to talk and develop relations of respect and equality with the United States, but will not allow any attempt at interfering in its internal affairs.
“We will continue to be open to dealing with the people of the United States, (…) trying to avoid the harsh prohibitions that the government of that country imposes on its own people in order to prevent their natural connection with a worthy and friendly neighbor in the absurd attempt at preventing them from knowing the true Cuba,” he added.
Regarding the new US government, he said, “We are aware of the possible implications associated with the arrival to power in the United States of a new government, in which they will have great political influence with very aggressive intentions against Cuba.”
“As we have said, it was a foreseeable scenario and we have been preparing ourselves in advance,” he added.
In order to denounce these coercive measures, more than 500,000 Havana residents, representing all Cubans, took part in a “March of the Combatant People.”
Participants demanded the lifting of a blockade imposed for more than six decades, intensified to unprecedented levels in recent years, and Cuba’s exclusion from the State Department’s SSOT list.
At the beginning of the popular parade, Díaz-Canel stated that President Joe Biden did not reverse the policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump (2017-2021), as he promised during his presidential campaign.
With the implementation of 243 additional measures and keeping Cuba on the SSOT list, Biden complied in a disciplined and cruel way with the policy that Trump approved during his term, he pointed out.
He stressed that pointing to Cuba as a State that allegedly sponsors terrorism is at the very least false and immoral, wherever the accusation comes from, but it is doubly so when it comes from US territory.
Jan 1 (Presnsa Latina) At the gates of a new calendar year, the traces of 2024, a year of challenges, are beginning to be sealed in that sort of book under permanent construction that is our national history.
From food shortages to the energy crisis, Cuba faced in the last 12 months adversities that would have discouraged many, anywhere in the world; however, the people rose again and again, as part of the efforts to reinvent itself in the midst of a context of resistance.
The policy of economic, commercial and financial siege that the US has been imposing on the island for more than six decades is the main cause of the problems faced by the nation, a situation that does not go unnoticed by the international community, which once again reaffirmed its strong support for the island by approving, for the 32nd time, a resolution demanding the end of the blockade, with quantifiable damages of more than 1,499.71 billion dollars.
ELECTRICITY, THE GREAT CHALLENGE
The energy crisis was the most evident consequence of the difficulties the country must face to guarantee the stable supply of fuels, investments in the sector and the necessary repair and maintenance cycles in thermoelectric plants.
Three times, for different reasons, the National Electric System (SEN) was disconnected during the last quarter of 2024, which meant the paralyzation of many activities of the national life and a heroic commitment on the part of the workers of the electric sector, who worked tirelessly in the difficult task of reestablishing the service for the whole nation.
However, it was not all bad news. The announcement of the installation, until 2028, of 92 photovoltaic solar parks in Cuba, with the capacity to generate 2,000 megawatts (mw) of power (more than 20 mw each), gave hope to the people of better conditions possible in the short term. This will mean to stop importing 750,000 tons of fuel.
In addition, the longest oil well in Cuba, Varadero 1012, was completed, which was a milestone.
THE FORCE OF NATURE
Nature gave us no respite either. Hurricane Oscar, in October, remained stationary for more than 20 hours in the Guantánamo area, causing severe flooding due to heavy rains, loss of human lives and essential goods in a region traditionally affected by drought. These impacts added fundamental challenges to the recovery of four municipalities in the country that already had significant challenges to their development, such as the impact, in October 2016, of Hurricane Mathew.
A little less than a month later, in early November, Hurricane Rafael crossed the province of Artemisa with category 3, generating the destruction of thousands of homes and significant damage to electrical infrastructure, as well as to agriculture. At the same time, the damage affected the pumping of water from the supply sources located in Mayabeque and Artemisa.
International solidarity was notable and immediate. In addition to the solidarity shipments from the provinces that were not affected, and destined for those that were hardest hit, there were loads of essential resources and financial donations from the United Nations system and countries such as Venezuela, Russia, China, Mexico, among others.
NOT LOSING WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED
Despite the difficulties, the year also brought victories. Cuban athletes became ambassadors of an indomitable spirit at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games. With a total of nine medals, including two gold, one silver and six bronze, the Cuban delegation ranked 32nd in the medal table.
Significant decisions were also made in the social sphere. One of them was the Government’s announcement of a three-month extension of the maternity benefit.
In addition, despite its instability, ensuring the standard family basket remained a priority, despite all the limitations, since importing resources has become a real odyssey, due to the financial persecution by the United States.
THE HOPE FOR TOURISM
For the year 2025, 2,600,000 arrivals of foreign visitors are predicted, which means an 18% growth over the estimate for the calendar that concludes, informed Juan Carlos García Granda, Minister of Tourism.
He emphasized the need to perfect a closed financing scheme and guarantee compliance with standards throughout the country’s tourism system.
The main destination continues to be Matanzas, followed by Havana, the keys of Villa Clara and Ciego de Avila, and Holguin.
On the positive side, electronic commerce in the sector is consolidated, and progress continues to be made to complete the use of all electronic payment channels, “under the principle that the banking process is a fundamental premise for providing a quality service,” he added.
THE ECONOMIC SCENARIO IS COMPLEX, BUT WE CANNOT RENOUNCE TO MOVE FORWARD
The complexities of the Cuban economy continue to focus the concerns of the Government and the people, with emphasis on the non-compliance in the production of goods and services, and exports, as well as the presentation of the estimates with which the Cuban economy will close in 2024.
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, highlighted in the last session of the Cuban Parliament the importance of the discreet decrease in the budget deficit estimated for the closing of 2024, in the midst of a war economy context.
This result supports the country’s Macroeconomic Stabilization Program, with a reduction in the inflation rate which, although it does not directly influence the decrease in prices, positively helps the conception of the State Budget for 2025.
In this regard, Díaz-Canel commented that the result has been possible because the country has moved from the contemplation of economic facts to action against the high levels of tax evasion and other issues that have a negative impact on the country’s economic dynamics.
However, he pointed out that there is still a lot of work to be done, as there are still high levels of under-declaration, indiscipline in the payment of fines and taxes, among other problems and illegalities.
The President said that the 2025 Budget plan, in addition to reducing the budget deficit, will focus investments on the most complex problems facing the nation, among which the process of energy transformation towards renewable sources stands out.
In this regard, he said that, to the extent that progress is made in the gradual reduction of the use of fuel for electricity generation, it will be possible to reactivate the economy with more production of goods and services.
CUBA FORESEES A 1 % GDP GROWTH BY 2025
Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, Minister of Economy and Planning, pointed out that this year there has been a limited productive recovery as a consequence of the foreign currency deficit, the effects on electricity and fuel availability, together with the negative impact of hurricanes and earthquakes, which have continued to influence internal macroeconomic imbalances and inflation, among other factors.
He pointed out that the indicators for exports of goods and services were not met, nor was it possible to achieve the goal set for tourism, which has had a negative impact on the income capacity of the economy.
In the case of Agriculture, which is another key sector for national development, he added that the production of viands, vegetables and other crops fell short of what was planned for the year, while the sugar harvest did not reach the promised figure either.
Alonso Vázquez also pointed out the negative impact of the reduction in electricity generation due to deficit, both in the generation capacity and in the availability of fuel, thus limiting the productive results.
He addressed the effects on investment processes, due to the limited availability of key resources for construction, such as steel and cement.
However, the Minister pointed out that, with a view to 2025, all the capacities of the national economy were reviewed and, based on this process, the planning for next year began with the precept of managing the current crisis, mitigating the impacts of the economic war, and advancing even under these conditions, mobilizing all possible reserves.
To this end, a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of around 1 % is planned, and the need to generate new resources, strengthen exportable items and add value to the current ones, as well as to promote exports based on knowledge and high technology, recover tourist services, and boost other professional services, together with the flow of foreign direct investment, are established as priorities.
Today, as we look back on the year that is coming to an end, it is clear that Cuba is not only a nation marked by its challenges, but also by its capacity to overcome them. The road ahead will continue to be complex, especially marked by the rise to the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump, whose legacy against Cuba during his previous term was key to the situation the island is suffering today. In the face of that, the indomitable spirit of the Cuban people will continue to shine in the eyes of the world, never bowing down to those who try to impose their dictates on how the world should work.
ARE PRIORITIES FOR THE COMING YEAR:
– Strengthen the political-ideological work. – Consolidate the defense of the Homeland. – Preserving internal order and confronting crime. – The recovery of the National Electric System. – The implementation of the new mechanism for the allocation of foreign currency, as well as the closed financing schemes for the export sector. – Reorganization of the foreign exchange market. – The improvement of the socialist state enterprise and the budgeted units. – The management and organization of the participation of the non-state sector in the economic and social life of the country. – National production, including the expansion and consolidation of the supply of state goods and services. – The protection of vulnerable people, and the subsidy to people and not to products. – Actions aimed at reducing social inequalities.
(Source: Speech by the Prime Minister at the 9th Plenary Session of the Party Central Committee).
