The official press of the Cuban regime promotes the importation of automobiles to the island despite the government's discourse resting on the justification of the embargo as responsible for the limitations and economic debacle in the country.
Cubadebate website affirms that "the importation of cars in Cuba has experienced a significant growth during the year 2023, driven by the approval of Law 83 of the Council of Ministers, legislation that has opened the doors for Cuban citizens to import new or used cars."
It indicates that the island has become one of the fastest-growing car import markets.
Private individuals have been the ones who have bought the most cars, representing 40% of imports, and have opted for electric cars due to tax benefits and low maintenance costs, emphasizes the newspaper.
It also points out that the most purchased brands on the island are Changan, BYD, Wuling, and Hozonauto, with models such as the Lumin, Seagull, SongPlus Yuan Plus, Bingo, Neta V, and Neta U.
Cubadebate promotes "the reliability and quality of Japanese brands", and advertises that Toyota models such as Hilux, Hiace, Corolla, Fortuner, and RAV4; the Mitsubishi L200 pickup truck; and Suzuki models like Swift, Spresso, and Ertiga are the most requested brands by Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in the country.
Likewise, it advertises ATR Export agency, which, according to the newspaper, has an after-sales service that "ensures long-term customer satisfaction."
Cubadebate avoids discussing the importation of cars from the United States, where cars of various models were introduced last year for almost 10 million dollars, according to statistics from the United States-Cuba Economic and Commercial Council (USCTEC).
During 2023, new vehicles worth 357,442 dollars, used cars worth 4,385,612 dollars, and motorhomes worth 186,500 dollars were imported to the island.
This, despite the fact that the regime bases its discourse on the alleged prohibitions of the embargo.
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