Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted on Wednesday «discreet» progress in bilateral relations between his administration and the United States, despite the sanctions imposed by Washington.
«Very discreet steps have been taken, aimed at setting bilateral cooperation on the road to the fulfillment of the migratory agreements and also in other priority areas between both countries,» the Cuban president said, according to the Cuba Debate news portal.
Thus, he highlighted the U.S. initiative of technical assistance offered during the fire in the supertanker port of Matanzas, in addition to the material aid accepted on the occasion of a hurricane in September.
«Our objective continues to be to promote broader ties with that country and its people, which already includes close to two million people of Cuban origin or descendants,» he added before emphasizing that the willingness to build a «respectful and mutually beneficial relationship» is known to the U.S. government.
However, Díaz-Canel pointed out that the defining characteristic in bilateral relations «continues to be the economic blockade, as a weapon of coercion, cruel, illegitimate and immoral», an aspect that hinders «the performance» of the Cuban economy.
«With the backing of tens of millions of dollars from the federal budget, (…) the United States orients, finances and even trains individuals to commit violent acts against Cuba,» criticized Díaz-Canel while giving an account of his administration this year at the Havana Convention Palace.
In this sense, he regretted that the national economy «is going through a complex situation, due to the combined effect of the tightening of the blockade, the pandemic and international inflation».
«(These) phenomena have produced a substantial deterioration of the purchasing power of the income of workers and pensioners, as well as the living conditions of the population», he explained.
