In an extensive interview with Brazilian journalist Breno Altman from the Palace of the Revolution, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly acknowledged the mistakes made during the implementation of the Sorting task, the ambitious economic plan that sought to unify the currency and reorganize the Cuban financial system.
"The ideas we proposed for the Ordering process that aimed to achieve monetary and exchange rate unification did not turn out well," admitted Díaz-Canel: "We were distorted by a whole range of issues that also surround the blockade."
During the conversation, which lasted nearly two hours, the president explained that the project faced structural and external obstacles that hindered its success: a lack of investment in renewable energy, agriculture, and food production; manifestations of bureaucracy and corruption; and inefficient management of the scarce resources available.
“It would be dishonest, in such a complex and challenging situation, to say that mistakes haven't been made,” he stated. “It's impossible not to make mistakes when working under pressure, and especially when you're not working in a comfortable position.”
Distortions, tax evasion and inequality
In addition, Díaz-Canel addressed the distortions between the state and non-state sectors, citing problems such as tax evasion and the emergence of abusive prices that "create critical social inequality among the population." In this context, he also noted that part of the market operates with foreign currency at informal rates, which particularly affects lower-income Cubans.
The president also referred to the recent university student protests against the ETECSA rate hike, asserting that in Cuba they have opted for dialogue, not repression: “A dialogue has been established with the students, very different from how protests are handled in other places, as Trump did in Los Angeles.”
Díaz-Canel insisted that the situation in Cuba worsened following the intensification of the U.S. embargo, especially since 2019, with Cuba's inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the implementation of more than 240 sanctions during the Trump administration.
“Previously, we had sources of foreign currency income from remittances, exports, and tourism. We had loans from financial institutions and collaborations with various countries… and with those revenues, we were able to import raw materials and inputs for production processes, ensure the basic food basket, and maintain a state-run foreign exchange market with an adequate rate,” he added.
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3 comments
There is a blockade, YES, we all know it, a dirty hatred of the US against Cuba, but why don't we try to solve internal problems, why have the stores emptied of necessary products, such as clothing, food, shoes, household utensils? Who imports them now and resells them through the MSMEs? WHO IS THE REAL OWNER OF THE MSMEs? Who gets rich with this capitalist business and who is exploited and extorted when they have to go there forced to avoid dying of hunger or walking naked? WHO IS INTERESTED IN DROWNING THE PEOPLE IN MISERY, UNHEALTHY AND HOW MUCH HUMAN MISERY THERE IS SO THAT, IN DESPERATION, THEY ASK FOR ANNEXATION TO THE US? WHAT A SHAME, MR. PRESIDENT, LET'S NOT COVER THE SUN WITH A FINGER ANYMORE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. On the other hand, how to develop agriculture, Cuba's only true wealth, when no one cares?cupto the peasantry, the thieves destroying the animals and the crops and the police what does? Eat the cattle slaughtered by the butchers because the government demonstrates, SO THE PEOPLE ARE HAPPY AND QUIET EATING BEEF, of course, you have to buy it, that's cheaper, the State's, the MSIMES, it's almost impossible to get to them, Electricity is wasted cooking, what a lack of respect, you should at least sell coal through the supply book and not export everything to bring in foreign currency, why, go out and buy products from the MSIMES and you continue filling your pockets while the poorest people, the sick and thin people, almost malnourished and you getting fat, Mr. President, excuse me, we have gone back to the Machadato, we do not want war, but no more deception ...., if you want, I can give you some suggestions on how to improve the situation of our country, the first, look at the widespread internal corruption as much as possible from the highest levels of government to the wineries and rural police
And what happened to international credits, tourism and those other sources of income? In short, the same corruption and embezzlement of that corrupt government as always?
DOWN WITH CASTRO, MAFIA COMMUNISM, HP
And why wasn't there any investment in electricity generation, agriculture, and other sectors of the economy before 2019, when there was funding and Trump's 240 measures hadn't yet been implemented?
No, because the money went to personal coffers.