On the eve of the second anniversary of the massive protests of 9/11, the United States Embassy in Cuba once again asked the regime in Havana for the release of those detained during these demonstrations. In a message sent to Marti Newsthe diplomatic headquarters pointed out that the human rights situation on the island continues to be “bleak.”
“About 700 protesters and more than a thousand political prisoners in total remain behind bars. We reiterate our prior call for the immediate release of unjustly detained political prisoners,” a State Department spokesperson said in an email.
This Tuesday marks two years since the historic anti-government demonstrations of July 11, 2021, to which the regime responded with repression and tougher sentences for those captured, with sentences of up to 10 years in prison for both adults and minors. age.
The diplomat recalled that the Joe Biden Administration ordered the State Department to promote “accountability” of the abuses committed by the Cuban regime. Several rounds of sanctions and visa restrictions were even imposed for people with direct ties to the “harsh treatment” of the protesters.
“We reiterate our previous call for the immediate release of political prisoners, unjustly detained,” said the diplomatic headquarters
Two weeks after the pressure against the demonstrations, the US government sanctioned the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), as well as its high command: Óscar Callejas Valcarce, in charge of the PNR, and the deputy director, Eddy Sierra Aria. This rule blocks any assets they may have under US jurisdiction and prohibits any type of trading.
According to note of Marti Newspublished this Saturday, the Embassy spokesman assured that the United States maintains its support for the Cuban people in the search for “human rights, prosperity and a future of greater dignity.”
For this reason, he added, the US government ordered alternatives to directly support the island’s population to be explored. As part of these actions, measures were approved to strengthen the “entrepreneurial spirit and allow families to reconnect with each other.” . This allowed the authorization of regular and charter flights out of Havana, as well as regulatory changes for group trips and remittances, as well as the resumption of consular services. “All while continuing to deny resources to the Cuban armed forces,” the diplomat said.
However, the diplomat acknowledges that the regime continues its repression against dissident voices. The relatives of the protesters are also harassed and threatened when they dare to speak about the deplorable conditions under which their loved ones are in prison. He ends his message with: “We are with you.”
The United States has approved almost 900 million dollars in medical exports to Cuba, a figure that exceeds the 800 million that were registered in all of 2022
The US Embassy also responded this Saturday to the statements by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, who on several occasions has blamed the blocking of the shortage of medicines on the Island. Twitterthe diplomatic headquarters denied that the economic embargo prohibits the export of US medicines and even assured that it is “easy” to obtain the purchase license at the Department of Commerce.
He explained that, so far in 2023, the United States has approved almost 900 million dollars in medical exports to Cuba, a figure that exceeds the 800 million that were registered in all of 2022. “That the embargo should not be used as an excuse to the lack of medical care in Cuba,” adds the publication.
Initially, the foreign minister would have responded to an update from the US Census Bureau, which revealed that US exports to Cuba have exceeded 2.1 million dollars in various products, between January and May 2023. However, the The official assured that the medicines suffer the “same prohibitions” imposed by the blocking.
However, the shortage of medicines on the Island is mainly due to a lower production of BioCubaFarmawho last May warned that the industry did not have enough raw materials to guarantee the drugs in greatest demand, both for open sale and for hospital use.
At that time, the company’s Director of Operations and Technology, Rita María García, explained that the Government does not have financial liquidity to buy more inputs or finished products, in addition to problems in the supply of containers on the international market.
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