On the last day of sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power, the Cuban president acknowledged that the blackouts will continue, although there are strategies and investments underway to reverse the situation
The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, assured this Friday on the last day of sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power that those who blame the government for handling the prolonged blackouts in recent weeks “are responding to what the counterrevolution”.
In the intervention of the president, which came just after the appearance of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Livián Arronte, he acknowledged that there is discomfort among the population due to the cuts in supply, which have been intensifying in recent months, but he clarified: “Rest assured that here nobody puts the blackouts to bother anyone.”
Deputy @DiazCanelBFirst Secretary of the Central Committee of the @PartidoPCC and President of the Republic of #Cuba??, concluded the Ninth Ordinary Period of Sessions of the National Assembly of the #Popular powerin its IX Legislature. #CubaLegisla pic.twitter.com/D3bwt8mIs0
— Cuban National Assembly (@AsambleaCuba) July 23, 2022
“There are some people who, to express their discomfort and misunderstanding – which is legitimate because they are experiencing a situation of affectation – go to the sound of pots, shout expressions against the leaders, some take advantage of the occasion to say some slogan against the revolution, others participate in acts of vandalism and throw stones, break windows and with that the situation we have is not resolved”, he pointed out.
Power cuts were, along with other serious economic problems, some of the factors that fueled last year’s anti-government protests in Cuba, when the largest demonstrations in decades took place.
In recent weeks, some mobilizations against blackouts have been repeated, such as in the city of Camagüey and the town of Los Palacios, in Pinar del Río.
The president added that some of the protesters “by conviction or not, are responding to what the counterrevolution wants” and “what those who have us blocked want, that those are the ones who first caused this whole situation,” in reference to to the sanctions and to the block of the United States.
This country is not detained, said the President of the Republic. They want to stop this country; but we are not stopped and we are not going to stop. Our alternative is clear and it will never be surrender. We do not give up, nor will we let ourselves be defeated.
— Cuba Presidency ?? (@PresidenciaCuba) July 23, 2022
“(They) are acting in accordance with the enemy’s plan, not with our plan, our plan has to be one of understanding, solidarity and, as always, resistance,” he said.
In that same sense, Díaz-Canel said that the blackouts do not happen only on the island, but that “perhaps they are the most famous for all that propaganda against Cuba.” The president added that the world is experiencing an energy crisis and that, despite this, in the country “the same rate continues to be maintained.”
This is not the first time that the government has directly addressed the energy problem. Since last May, the Presidency reports daily on the availability of the electrical system. As previously stated, the outages are due in part to breakages in the plants, the fuel deficit for distributed generation and scheduled maintenance.
Díaz-Canel said that “there are no immediate solutions” for this problem, but he referred that “there is a strategy underway and negotiations to achieve investments in the remainder of the year.”
Cuba reiterates attempt of “subversion” by the US government
In the closing speech of the plenary meeting of the National Assembly, Miguel Díaz-Canel reiterated that the United States government maintains the objective of subverting the social and political order of Cuba, but at the same time he pointed out that he does not rule out the possibility of a better understanding with its North American neighbor.
The president accused the US administration of applying unconventional war formulas against Cuba that have already been tried and applied in other parts of the world. “That aggressiveness is further reinforced by the subversion programs that do not stop trying to politically destabilize the country,” he pointed out.
In this sense, he affirmed that the United States “tried again to force a popular uprising in Cuba during this month of July” and failed in the same month of 2021, as he pointed out in reference to the massive anti-government protests of July 11 last year.
We do not have the power to change the imperial logic. But we do not renounce, from our anti-imperialist logic, the socialist construction, because it is the only path to the greatest possible social justice, he stressed.
— Cuba Presidency ?? (@PresidenciaCuba) July 23, 2022
He also denounced that, for this, the US government deployed “intense campaigns” on social networks and applied “strong economic pressure” in order to depress the standard of living of the Cuban population, generating problems in essential services such as electricity, and in the level of consumption and access to basic items, among others.
The president of the Caribbean country affirmed that, despite Washington’s aggressive policy, “we do not rule out the eventual possibility of a better understanding with the United States government towards a relationship of respect. We are convinced that we have mutual interests in the exchange between the two nations, despite the great differences”, he stressed.
He also said that Cuba is willing to “advance in that direction and to dialogue on any issue,” but “without undermining our sovereignty.”
“We will continue promoting and facilitating the broadest possible ties with the many sectors of that country that are willing to get closer,” he added.
