Cuban ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is in Mexico to attend the inauguration of elected president Claudia Sheinbaum, said he is “convinced that we will move forward,” referring to the critical situation facing the Caribbean nation.
Meeting with Cubans working at the Embassy of Cuba in Mexico, and a group of doctors working in the Aztec nation, the leader wondered, "On the day we overcome the blockade, what will we not be able to do?" referring to a creative capacity of the island whose workforce, for the most part, has emigrated to other countries in search of economic growth opportunities.
Let us remember that from October 1, 2021, until the end of fiscal year 2023, about 533,000 Cubans had arrived in the United States, a figure equivalent to 4.8% of the 11.1 million inhabitants of the Caribbean nation.
But at that point, Díaz-Canel did not stop and mentioned that "only work, and doing it differently, will make it possible for Cubans to break free from the imperial blockade that makes life more difficult every day."
According to a report from the Presidency of Cuba, the leader highlighted that food production and electricity generation are two top priorities of his government. However, the crisis in both sectors is worsening increasingly, despite the various promises made from the Palace of the Revolution.
The report notes that on the first topic, Díaz-Canel stated that only a greater supply will directly impact prices; adding the existence of plans on the horizon, another promise that feels empty and highlights Cuba's dependence on foreign actors.
Her words were supported by the recent visit of the president of Vietnam, Tô Lâm, during which they signed plans such as the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Cuba and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, regarding the Promotion of Rice Production to gradually ensure food security in Cuba during the period 2025-2027, and until the year 2035.
The VII Report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba 2024, published with revealing results about the Cuban reality last July, indicated that "89% of Cuban families suffer from extreme poverty," one percentage point more than last year and 13% more than in 2022.
One of the most significant pieces of data is that “7 out of 10 Cubans have stopped having breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food shortages.”
These are major problems that require prompt solutions so that their growth does not continue to endanger social stability in Cuba. However, they are not the only ones, and another issue that greatly concerns Cuban society is the prolonged and continuous blackouts.
On this topic, Díaz-Canel said that next year there will be an investment process that will improve the current situation of the country. A promise that year after year has been his shield to face various criticisms.
On this occasion, the president had praises for Mexico and for the outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). "This is an important country, a strategic country for Cuba," he warned.
Díaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta, along with other Cuban leaders, arrived in Mexico City on Sunday morning to attend the inauguration of the elected president Claudia Sheinbaum, which will take place this Tuesday, October 1st.
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