Havana Cuba. – The Cuban rulers must already be used to officiating as anachronistic figures in many of the international activities to which they are invited. For example, what does a Castro official do at the inauguration ceremony of a president of another nation who has been elected in free elections, and as part of the healthy alternation of rulers in power? Obviously, he would feel strange in an environment that is far from what happens on the Island.
Something similar must have happened to the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez during the recent Regional Summit against Inflation, convened by the Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and held virtually.
It was an event where representatives of 11 nations were going to offer, basically, a group of their exportable products that, marketed without tariff barriers and other protectionist obstacles, could reach consumers at affordable prices.
And that is where the anachronism of the heir of the Castros in said Summit lies. His intervention in the appointment was brief. In reality, his government does not have any food product that could benefit consumers from the other nations participating in the event. The most he could offer were 1,000 doctors and fertilizers for agriculture if they previously sent him the raw materials to undertake that production. In addition, he did not clarify if this medical service would be free, or if it had to be paid for. We cannot forget that medical services abroad constitute the second source of foreign exchange income for the country.
It would not be risky to imagine that AMLO’s invitation to Díaz-Canel was more due to the ideological trend that prevailed at the Summit than to the possibilities of the Cuban regime to contribute to the decrease in prices in the region.
The Mexican president chose his guests in such a way that they all had a leftist leaning. In this way, it was ensured that the main culprit of the inflation that the world suffers today was not mentioned. Sure, almost all the participants mentioned the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. But, said like that, it is a mere euphemism. You should have mentioned the name of Vladimir Putin, and his country’s invasion of Ukraineas those most responsible for the escalation of prices at an international level.
Cuba’s presence at the Summit was not only of little use taking into account what we have pointed out, but the Island is also failing to comply with one of the agreements reflected in the Final statement of the event.
Point number 7 of said Declaration establishes: “Coordinate efforts with producers, buyers, transporters and logistics operators of the private sector and other economic actors to follow up on the agreements of this Summit and its results.”
In other words, an attitude of collaboration between the authorities of each nation and the private sector is recommended, with the aim of combining efforts to increase the levels of supply of food products. And, in truth, here in Cuba there is very little collaboration and much confrontation between government authorities and the private sector. Precisely, we are entering the most tremendous phase of this confrontation, with the announced caps on the so-called “abusive prices”, fines, and even possible closures of establishments.
The truth is that throughout its existence, even since colonial times, Cuba had some food product that duly represented it. First sugar, to which citrus fruits, rums and seafood, among others, would be added later.
If now it does not have anyone who can play that role, we are in the presence of another unequivocal proof of the failure of Castroism.
OPINION ARTICLE
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