Rousseff calls embargo on Cuba “unfair”

At her earliest official engagement in Cuba on Monday (Jan. 27), President Dilma Rousseff condemned the economic embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States in the 1960s: “While subject to unfair economic embargo, Cuba has one of the three largest trade volumes in the Caribbean,” she pointed out in her address at the inauguration of the first phase of the renovated Mariel Port, 45 km from Havana. Also attending were the Presidents of Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.

Out of the project’s $957 million budget, $682 million was funded by Brazil’s National Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES), on condition that Cuba purchases at least $802 million worth of goods and services from Brazil, reports the Brazilian presidency’s blog.

The project covers an area of 450 sq km and has created 150,000 direct and indirect jobs in Brazil. Rousseff said Cuba’s business performance is expected to increase significantly as the port and the Special Development Zone of Mariel become operational.

Also according to the president, an additional $290 million BNDES loan has been set aside for the second construction phase of the port. She hinted that “several businesses from Brazil have signaled an interest in establishing a presence in the special zone,” and that there are “great prospects for development” in medical appliances, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines.

"Brazil wants to become a primary business partner for Cuba. We believe one way to favor this alliance is to strengthen the bilateral trade flow,” said Rousseff, who has announced that she is sending a group of business leaders to visit Cuba.

The president went on to thank the country for sending healthcare workers for the More Doctors Program. Since the beginning of the program, 5,300 Cuban doctors have been hired to work in the outskirts of large cities and remote areas of Brazil: “A large number of Brazilians approve of the presence of Cuban doctors – it only goes to show that coooperation is at the forefront of the relationship between our countries.”

On Tuesday (Jan. 28), Rousseff will attend the opening session of the Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which marks the return of Cuba to regional blocs. The country was suspended from the Organization of American States in 1962 and is now coming back as the host of the summit, which will convene 33 heads of state and government to discuss ways to reduce poverty and regional inequalities.

Translated by Mayra Borges