Can Cuba weather its worst crisis in decades?

This is Infocus. The Hindus, Goddard and Tefez, broadcast. You believe I'll be the honor of taking Cuba, whether I free it, take it, I could do anything I want with it. My dear friend, Cuba is not the piece of cake, and you can take it. Cuba is an ancient one. They already have taken more than 100 additional measures against Cuba. They are afraid to suffer some punishment, some sanctions from the US, and this is a problem, even though the huge differences that we have, we can find solutions in benefit of both sides. Cuba is facing its most severe economic crisis in a long time. The US's president Donald Trump and his administration, emboldened by its military intervention and abduction of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro and his president, Januri, has imposed a de facto naval blockade on the island and has inter-dictated oil tankers and has threatened tariffs on any country that sells fuel to Cuba. For three months, no energy shipments have entered the country barring one recently. The electricity grid has collapsed repeatedly, schools have been shut, flights have been cancelled, and millions of Cubans have endured prolonged blackouts. Donald Trump has spoken openly of taking Cuba and having a friendly takeover, while the Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for regime change. Negotiations between the two governments are underway, but Cuba's leadership has said that its political system is not up for negotiation. We have with us, Cuba's ambassador to India, Juan Carlos Marcinagi-Lera, to discuss these developments and more. Good afternoon, sir, and welcome to the India's Infocus Podcast. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. Good afternoon, and I am pleased to be here. Thank you, sir. Sir, the US has imposed what amounts to a naval blockade on Cuba, and it has inter-dictated oil tankers since late 2025, first by seizing Venezuelan shipments after they had abducted President Nicholas Maduro. And then they have also threatened tariffs on any country selling oil to Cuba. For three months, you do not receive any energy shipments, and only recently, Russian crude oil tanker Anatoliy Kolodkin reached Matanzas on March 30. You have also had suffering because of this blockade. There have been electricity, grid collapse, and so on. How has this blockade affected the Cuban economy and the daily lives of ordinary Cubans? Could you please explain to our viewers? Well, we should remember that they broke. Okay, didn't start it now. We have been submitted to this policy of the discriminant policy for more than six-five years. And both is true that in the first and second turn of Trump administration, the blockade has drove until unprecedented limits. I remember in the first period of Trump, they adopted more than 240 different measures in order to strangle the Cuban economy. And during this administration, they already have taken more than 100 additional measures against Cuba. I can remember, for example, the inclusion of Cuban the lease of country as sponsor terrorists, supposedly sponsor terrorists, because Cuba has been a victim of the Terrier actions committing from the US and with the financial support of the US government. Also, they are blocking all the opportunity for Cuban Americans living in the US to send remittances to the relative in Cuba. We have almost 1.5 Cubans living in the US, and they use to send some support to the relative in Cuba. It happens in all Latin American countries, you know. But in the case of Cuba, there is not a legal channel to send these remittances because they block it. This possibility. Also, for example, also the obstructing all the possibility for Americans, or even for Cuba Americans to travel to Cuba by free. They need some special permission to go to Cuba. They can know West morning in our country. They cannot visit any hotel or any installation in our country. So it's very difficult for them to reach Cuba. Apart from all the impacts that this measures has in the healthcare system in Cuba, for example, in January 29th, allow me to remember this. The President Trump signed an executive order imposing this blockade to all supply to Cuba. We never faced this challenge before. Cuba is an international. We are only producing 20% of the oil that we require for the Cuba economy. 40% of the total electricity supply is covered by the Cuban oil, but the rest which is import. We are not self-sufficient in oil. So imposing this blockade to all supplies is a huge challenge for the Cuban economy and affects all the sectors in our country, not only the economy. As I mentioned in the healthcare system, for example, we have more than 100,000 patients waiting for a medical surgery. And we don't have the possibility because we don't have electricity in the hospital to fulfill these goals. Also for example, in education, if you don't have transportation, you cannot move from your house to from your neighbor. To the university and the different educational centers. So it's also a limitation for education in food production. Nowadays, 40% of the land, productive land in Cuba is on producer. Because we don't have sufficient oil for irrigation and the efficiency in the food production is very low, very low for this condition. As you mentioned, electricity supply, of course, we can only cover less than 50% of the total energy demand in our country. And unfortunately, last year, we were able to install 1,000 megawatts through renewable energy, mainly solar energy. But we cannot cover more than 50%. The rest is blackout and the season is very weak. And sometimes we have this total blackout in our country. In the last month, it happens three times in just one month. Also, there is a huge impact in water supply. We need electricity for water supply. And it faces a lot of problems. More than 2 million people have not frequently the water supply to their country, the water services to their houses. And you can imagine all the limitations that it impose for the daily life of Cubans in this sector. In common, in all the economy, it has a huge impact to our country. We have 10 million people submitted to these difficulties in our country. If you ask me, how can you resist? Well, there is a resiliency of the people because of this policy of the UK for more than 60 years is difficult. But they can manage. They can manage at least to collect the necessary resources at the community. Also, the state is working in order to protect the people in need in our country. We are talking about children, elderly, pregnant women, also in some hospital to facilitate that the people can cover their medical assistance. And in the food distribution, in order to get at least what they need in order in terms of food. So it is the possibility that the strong state in our country with a huge experience, how to distribute the limited resources that we have came overcome this situation. But this is unfortunately that a full population must have suffered this situation in our country. Rightly, you put out that, this is just an extension of what the US calls an economic embargo on you. And Cuba calls it a blockade from 1962 onwards. There has been also extensive, extra terrestrial sanctions that the US has come up with, like the Toriesale Act of 1992, the Hemsburden Act of 1996, which penalized foreign companies investing in Cuba and so on. And you also mentioned that Cuba has been placed on the state's sponsors of terrorism list, which is frankly ridiculous. I agree with you. But my question is this, how have these extra terrestrial sanctions affected Cuba's ability to trade access international banking and track investment from the rest of the world? Well, no doubt that the pro case is a means of struggle for the economic and social development of our country. For example, this, this issue that you mentioned, the inclusion of Cuba in this unilateral list of countries that supposedly sponsor terrorists in Cuba. impose many limitations to Cuba to connect to the financial international system as well. So we cannot receive credits for any international banks. We are not member of the international monetary fund, also the World Bank or the even the American Bank. We are not member of this because the US block the possibility to Cuba to access to these banks or to apply for any credits. We, for example, is difficult to connect with the banking system in general. We don't have divided a direct banking connection with many countries because they are afraid to suffer some punishment, some sanctions from the US. And this is a problem. We cannot make any transition in dollars. Many people that come to Cuba as a tourist, they used to spend also dollars in our country. How can we use these dollars to connect with international financial system? It's also a use difficulties. So it's all, for example, Americans, I mentioned I cannot travel to Cuba, but if they go, they can no waste money in our country. They cannot use their bank in cars, like for example, Americans or others. So it's a use difficulties. Apart from this, this administration also being introduced, entering to force the chapter 3 and force of the Hans-Burton-Lau. And now, the some Americans that seems that the property that they had in Cuba before the revolution and were nationalized at that time, they can also start presenting some demands in the US court against any company in the world that is investing in Cuba or this working with Cuba. The main idea is try to avoid any foreign investment in our country. In order, we don't have the possibility to get the financial resources that we need to assure our economy development is traversed. In all the sector of the Cuba economy, this blockaded prison and it did a lot of pressure to us in our daily life. For example, I mentioned the American cannot run to Cuba, but in the case of European, European people, they it's difficult for them because if they go to Cuba, they lost the opportunity to apply for an visa to visit US. So the arrest cared that if they need to go to US because there are a strong connection between Europe and US, they will get visa because if they go to the consulate, they could also reject to get a visa to visit US. So it all is happening in Cuba, for example, before COVID, we were almost to reach 5 million visitors to Cuba. The reason was the main sector in terms of financial income in the Cuba economy. Today is not more than 2.2 million. So it's difficult because we, Cuba Americans cannot travel also. For example, now some Canadians airlines suspended their flight to Cuba because we cannot refuel the aircraft in Cuba. So they suspended and Canada is the first emissor of tourists to Cuba. So all these are a tremendous impact in our in our economy, our German children. I must say 10 years ago, then President Barack Obama had visited Cuba and he had met President Al Qashtar, who was a President then. And this was the first sitting US President to visit Cuba nearly 90 years. And those genuine hopes of normalization. You can also wrote about it in the Hindu, that this marked genuine hope for people who are watching US Cuba relations for a long time. But as soon as President Trump came to power, he reversed course and he tightened sanctions. And now in his second term is talking about taking Cuba on. What explains this persistent hostility? Decades after the Cold War is over. Why is the US presidency? presidency after presidency showing so much hostility towards Cuba. Is it because of the role of the Cuban American Excel community in Florida and figures like the current secretary Marco Rubio, who is a son of Cuban immigrants? Are they driving this policy? Yes, remember dads recently they have launched some important concepts. That for example peace through force is one of them. Also the idea that to apply once again the moral doctrine that in few terms it means that all countries in Latin American, the Caribbean regions should be submitted to the US interests. And no other power in the world could be present in Latin America if they feel that they are these powers are treating the US dominance in Latin America. And Cuba is a country that always has been raised is voice defending the right of the people for certain determination for sovereignty to be in the paintings for territorial integrity of the concept of the people that are concepts that are included in the United Nations chapter. So Cuba is also talking in favor of all the global south defending the right of our countries. And maybe this position is not at the, you know, is of the interest of the US to have one small country just 90 miles and Iceland no more than 10 million population but that can not accept the concept of dominance of the US and our region. And maybe this is the situation but the period of Obama show that there is a possibility for a new approach between Cuba and the US because if you ask me is Obama would lie Cuba to remain socialist and independent maybe not but they they thought that there is knowledge and excuse in order to impose a cocaine so strong to a country and to have the people suffering the consequence of this policy. So they they try for a soft maybe for a soft approach to Cuba in order to connect our country and we did it. So apart from the profound differences between Cuba and the US and the different position that we have in the international arena we were able to discuss and to find some agreements for example I remember that we established 20 more than 20 bilateral commissions in order to work in different areas in interest of both sides and we did it. We did. So it is it is it shows an example because to approach Cuba for a region change won't be a sector for us because Cuba has been independent for 65 years and it took more than two centuries in order to reach our independent first from the Spanish and then from the dominance of the US but we can solve the our differences is it the most important. In the case of this you are you are right that the the stamp of the state secretary that he said is Cuban and he would like to the Cuban people to be free and so on but it's not it's not the true it's a lie because first he has not visited Cuba anymore you know because he he was born in US he's far in the left to you to US from Cuba to US in 1956 three years before the Cuban revolution he always has been connected to the string right groups in Miami represented you know the interest of this power man millionaires in Miami he has developed his political career you know supporting the world against Cuba is his profile so we cannot expect that he he's going to respect the independence of Cuba and the self-determination of the Cuban people but even though we are in the position to talk to dialogue to establish a dialogue or to continue dialogue with this with the US administration Tron said that he will take Cuba my dear friend Cuba is not the peak of a piece of cake that you can take it Cuba is a nation very proud of the history with a very high level education and education in our country with the the revolution has mean for the Cuban people the opportunity to have free access to education to healthcare to security to to many the the practice of sport culture well you know and the people will defend they are a homeland they will not surround the two US they should take it this into consideration but there are other ways in order to solve our differences to approach Cuba and US. You spoke about the renewal of the Monroe Dothane, I mean, call it the Don Dothane, that is Donald Trump wants to control the hemisphere that's around America. And that was visible when the US launched a military of Canary, you know, to object President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela. And there are reports that, you know, Cuban security personnel aiding the Venezuelan government were killed during that operation. Clearly, Venezuela and Cuba had a decades-old partnership, right? You had this oil for doctors program that was launched by the Venezuelan leader Hugo Shalitz, where Venezuela supplied Cuba roughly 100,000 barrels of oil, you know, every day. And in exchange, Cuban medical professionals, thousands of, you know, medical professionals visited Cuba and their staff clinics in Venezuela's porous neighborhoods. So, now, Venezuela seems to be under the control of the US in terms of the direct, you know, oil shipments and they have imposed several conditions on, you know, repatriation of, in fact, I mean, Venezuela even receiving proceeds of oil sales. So, how was this loss of this partnership with Cuba? Sorry, loss of this partnership with Venezuela affected Cuba in Europe. Well, you know that, further forward, I would like to say that Cuban Venezuela has a long standard relationship, not only from the time of Chávez, Hugo Chávez. I remembered the national hero of Cuba, José Martí, visited Venezuela in the 19th century to pay tribute to Bolívar, the end of the Elevator of Latin America at that time. Also, well, many other Cuban leaders, even Venezuela was the first country for they visited after the Cuban revolution. And he has a very strong connection with this society. And then after the triumph of Hugo Chávez in 1998, where we started a new, I can say, era in our bilateral relation. And Cuba supported the lots Venezuela. As you mentioned, it provided doctors also in other professors in many specialities. We developed a very important social programs, the people to record the sign, for example, also we open medical centers in different provinces in Venezuela. Many Venezuelan people went to Cuba to study also as a doctor in our universities. So it's an strong connection between the two people. We can understand that they are living a very difficult situation. They are unchallenged in Venezuela. Venezuela was the first supplier of oil to Cuba. It's no. And the United States also, they were looking not only to control the huge oil reserve in Venezuela, but also to attract to interrupt the oil supply to our country. And in most also many limitations to Cuba. We, of course, we are other suppliers. Because, for example, Mexico, 40% of the oil came from Mexico, also from Russia as well. And they bought the second motor of Trump of January 29 in post 24% of tariffs to those countries that supply oil to Cuba. And the people trying to avoid the sanctions because, for example, Mexico is quite dependent, economic dependent from US. We can understand, but even in this situation, the Mexican government has sent many humanitarian support to Cuba in food, in medical equitements and many others. And we are very, very glad and very proud for this gesture of solidarity from the Mexican government. Also recently, as you mentioned, a chip from Russia went to Cuba with 100,000 tons of oil. It is a main support to our country in this moment, because for more than three months, we were not receiving a single drop of oil to our economy. So it helps a lot in this situation. And the Russian has made it said that they will continue supporting Cuba because nobody has the right to submit a country to this situation. So I am pretty sure that the current Cuban and Venezuelan generations of the future will continue developing these strong relationships that have been based in motor respect, in cooperation, solidarity between the two countries. I am sure of that. You talked about the cooperation between the Cuban and Venezuelan. I remember during the pandemic, you had developed vaccines and you had supplied these vaccines to other countries in the global south. The Abdullah vaccine, if I am not right. So Cuba has had very strong relations with not only Latin America but also the rest of the global south. How do you think, what do you expect of the global south community of nations to react to this blockade? Even human rights panel has called this blockade an extreme form of unilateral economic coercion that violates international law. So do you think there is a role for multilateral bodies in providing meaningful support? After all, the UN General Assembly has voted against embargo for more than three decades now. That also has happened in the near past. So in this milieu, what kind of support are you expecting from the global south? Yes, well, you mentioned that for more than three decades, the United Nations General Assembly has been vote in favor of the Cuban resolution condemning the US blockade. And it is quite important because it's in an example that the US blockade is totally isolated in the international community. Just few countries, quite dependent from US, has been, again, this resolution, but the huge majority has been supported the resolution. And we have called the international community nowadays not only for Cuba. In general, the unity is necessity to defend international law, to defend the role of the United Nations, to defend the principles contained the United Nations chapter because yesterday was Venezuela. Today is Iran. Tomorrow could be Cuba. What will be the next? Any country that will be against the US interests of, you know, to control the strategic natural resources in the world. So nobody could be relaxed, nobody could be happy with this situation. Nobody could expect that tomorrow is going to finish this world of conquests to different countries. No. So everybody should be, all the country should be united, defending these principles in the international law. It is our position and also to oppose to these concepts that, as I mentioned before, the peace through force and the monorail of the string and the US hemisphere belongs to, you know, to US dominance, not. We should oppose of this. And also the Latin American, the Caribbean country should be united in the SELAQ, which is the community of Latin American Caribbean state, to raise our own voice and to defend our rights to define what is the future that we would like for our societies and to live in the unity should be built in our diversity. This is another context that is very important today. In just an example of this, you are a very diverse society, but you're trying to unite, to be united in the values, in the history, in your future, in your plans, in your ideas, how the world should be, one family, one country, one nation, but it's the same. So it's the same concept that we are spreading out in the international community in real and concrete. We applied or we request for solidarity instead of war. We request for multilateralism in text, in text, in text of multilateralism. It is a concept that should be defended nowadays. Ambassador, Cuba's major achievements in health care, education and biotechnology are well-knocked. But as you also write, pointed out, the economy is dependent on imported fuel and food. And as you also said, the current crisis is the most dire that you have faced since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now, also you are noticing that a lot of Cuban citizens are also have to leave the island as migrants because of this distress. Your government in recent years has begun allowing private enterprises and is also opening the door to diaspora investment. Do you think this reforms will serve Cuba's development priorities or do you think there is a risk that it is not. the new complications. How does Cuba, how do you think Cuba will undertake a genuine economic transformation on its own terms while under this kind of dearest because of what the US is doing to you? The Cuban population support the new constitution that was submitted to the consultation in 2019. You know, and in this a constitution it recognized the socialist character of the Cuban revolution and we will continue trying to be devoted to the people, to the social conquests and trying to preserve the unity of the society. But within this concept, we also should, you know, trying to find solutions to our economic problems today and we should be very smart in order to adopt any decision that could allow Cuba to be to incorporate in the international market today. And according to this path and following the idea that we must change everything that has to be changed in order to develop our economy and our society as well. We have adopted new measures in order to allow the foreign verse to participate in the economic and social strategy for the development of the Cuban society. And we are open different sectors in the Cuban economy to these foreign investors, for example in agriculture. If we have land, I can say even high quality land in Cuba, soil in Cuba. And we cannot produce all this soil because we don't have the financial resources. We are calling different company to participate in the food production in Cuba. And we can share the profits, you know, 50% carry many Cuba to supply the internal market or demands and the rights could be export. So you can say well, it is a you are making some conversation to the social system. No, we are very pragmatic and we should, you know, the first responsibility of the Cuban state is to upgrade the social condition of the Cuban people. So it is the main responsibility. And also we are open a new economy development zone near Habana in Maria. This one is open also to connect Cuba with all Latin American countries. In the case of the of the sugar cane production, Cuba was a leader because the sugar cane production on the 70th. Nowadays we require to capitalize the industry in our country. We require some financial assistance to recover the sugar cane. And we are offering as well to different international partners to participate in this sector. It's happened the same in mining in tourism. Of example, in energy, Cuba is in the process of energy transition because we have a clear strategy to 2030 and beyond to 2045 in order to achieve the energy independence of Cuba. The energy is over 90 of Cuba and we are looking for partners also to participate and I see in all this sector India could play a role in Cuba as a partner of Cuba to achieve these goals. And we are scores very active. I can say that is one of the most important mission of the Cuban embassy in order to promote the economic and cooperation relations between the two countries in this in this area. You pointed out that you have done and now asking for investment from different people of the world. You also said that now you have known that Cuba and Subrod can also invest in own businesses on the island. But it seems that President Daskhanal confirmed that negotiations with Washington this year and the way. And you also released with Vatican mediation in recent months yet the Trump administration says that this is not dramatic enough. They are suggesting that they want the president to be removed and Trump is going on to say that he will have the honor of taking Cuba and so on. These are incubatory statements. Yes, mate. So what exactly is on the table in this negotiations and what are Cuba's red lines if you can tell our audience? Yes, well, you know, it's a very sensitive issue. Even I don't have all the information to provide to you. There is a clear as being settled by our president that Cuba has not only showed the disposition to start a dialogue, but this is a we are in a in the table dialogue with a with a US authority. But well, based on this principle that even though the use differences that we have, we can find solution in benefit of both sides. For example, in combating trafficking in person in Latin in the in the Caribbean region, the trafficking on of terrorists or also for example, drugs, combating drugs or money laundering or presented the environment. So there are different topics that could be also discussed with the US and we can found also a solutions or a more cooperation in this in this area. And let me tell you because of the geographical position of Cuba, Cuba is in the middle of the transit of the drug transit from the south to the north and they trying to avoid Cuba because they know that Cuba has a very strong position combating the drug trafficking in our region. So if we can strongly compare it with US will be in benefits of the US society as well. We open also as you mentioned and we open the possibility for not only the Cuban Americans but also for the American company to participate in the Cuban company in the Cuban economy. And why not as we offer to any other country in the in the world. So there are many many opportunities that we could define. But the political system and the composition of the Cuban government is not on the tape. We have been very clear. It belongs to the Cuban people to define with kind of society. We would like to live with in and with the appropriate people to lead our country and has been defined. The last election took place in 2023 and the huge majority of the Cuban population supported our leaders and also the political system that is established in Cuba. So it belongs to our people. Nobody could say who will be in the presidency. We are not establishing the same condition to have the dialogue with US. So we are not saying that a president should not be leading the country or the state secretary should be a rather one. We don't say that we should base this dialogue should be based on mutual respect and also should be serious and responsible dialogue but based in an inequality of both sides. We cannot accept to any conditions political condition for the other side. This is it's a very clear position for our leadership but also for our people in Cuba. Thank you, Master. I think you have been indeed clear enough. I hope this message resonates not only with the readers but audiences and sweat as well. Thank you once again for spending time with us. Thank you for giving us the possibility to address the audience or this important newspaper, the Hindu. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.