Interview | 'We Want Economic Ties With India To Match Political Relations’: Cuban Minister

Cuba has been facing sanctions from the United States for more than 60 years. Its policy throughout this period has been to try to change Cuba's political system by applying economic pressure. They have not achieved this goal and are not going to.

This policy affects not only the Cuban people but also the American people and the international community. Every year, the international community expresses its opposition to the US blockade against Cuba.

During the past year, the US has strengthened this policy by introducing new sanctions against Cuban entities. More importantly, it has tried to persuade companies around the world to avoid doing business with Cuba by making them fear the consequences.

Sometimes companies are not sanctioned directly. Instead, they are told that if they do business with Cuba, they could face problems with the United States or that tariffs could be increased on their countries. This creates a form of fear among companies and governments.

Considering that the United States is the most powerful economy in the world, this pressure works. There are companies and countries that have stopped doing business with Cuba or supplying certain products to the country.

We understand that there is a lot of pressure from the United States, but we also believe that countries and people around the world should continue opposing this policy.

What is happening in Cuba today is very important because our people are suffering because of these sanctions. One of the clearest effects is the lack of electricity. We are unable to import sufficient fuel from abroad because of the sanctions, and therefore we are not able to meet the country's demand for electricity.

This has consequences across the entire economy and society. If people do not have electricity in their homes, that is a problem, but it also affects industries and the economy.

For example, in the health sector, we have difficulties providing medical attention. Surgeries are being delayed because hospitals do not have sufficient electricity. We also have problems providing water because the systems used to pump and distribute water require electricity.

There are also consequences for tourism. Tourism has traditionally been one of the most important sectors of the Cuban economy and is connected with other sectors, including food industries that supply the tourism sector.

It is now difficult to bring tourists to Cuba because we cannot always provide fuel for aircraft. Planes have to arrive in Cuba with enough fuel to return because we do not have the capacity to supply them with sufficient aviation fuel.

The US government has also pressured foreign companies involved in managing hotels in Cuba to leave the country. Some major Spanish companies involved in hotel management have stopped their operations because of this pressure. This is another sector that has been affected.

Cuba is part of the BRICS community, but we are not here simply because we expect something from BRICS. We consider BRICS to be an important platform for countries around the world to work together to build a better world.

We are totally aligned with the principle of multilateralism and with the right of every country to decide its own future. This is the spirit of BRICS — countries of the Global South trying to achieve development without being led by a single country that wants to establish the rules and dictate what everybody else should do.

That is why we are here in New Delhi for this meeting. We are also encouraged by the fact that BRICS countries have consistently expressed opposition to sanctions and unilateral blockades, including at the United Nations General Assembly.

We understand that it is not easy, but we believe that if all our countries work together, we can help change this situation. This is not only about helping Cuba overcome the sanctions imposed by the United States. It is also about working towards a fairer international system for people and for humanity as a whole.

They are acting against the blockade. Countries vote against the blockade at the United Nations (UN).

Yes. We understand that the pressure from the United States is very strong. It is a very powerful country and many countries are afraid of the consequences. There may also be countries waiting to see what happens with the US government, including what happens after the midterm elections and how US policy evolves.

Our expectation is that this will provide an opportunity to speak directly with our friends from the BRICS countries and to continue increasing cooperation between our countries. We have excellent relations with the countries attending the summit. We also expect Cuba to be able to bring its ideas and support the work that BRICS is doing in favour of humanity.

We have excellent relations between Cuba and India, with cooperation in many sectors. What we want now is to bring our economic, trade and investment relationship to the same level as our political relationship. That is probably one of the reasons why we are here in New Delhi — not only to attend the BRICS Summit but also the business forum being held this week.

We are trying to increase communication with Indian entrepreneurs and the business community. We have realised that there is a lot of interest in Cuba. There are companies that want to know more about what is happening in Cuba and are seeing opportunities in the Cuban market.

We are therefore very optimistic that, even under the circumstances of the US blockade and sanctions, we can find solutions and ways to increase, improve and boost the relationship between our two countries.

We are working on three main areas. The first, and a very important one for both sides, is biotechnology. Both countries have achieved excellent results in this field, and we believe there are opportunities for mutual benefit.

The second area is renewable energy. We need to improve the situation of Cuba's electricity system, and India has considerable experience in renewable energy. We believe India can provide support as we continue transforming our energy matrix.

The third area is food production. Cuba currently imports food from abroad, but we have the possibility of increasing domestic food production. We have the land to do it. What we probably need is financial support, equipment, good experience, and know-how to increase food production in Cuba.