Cuba Reaffirms Commitment to Non-Aligned Countries.

Tags

#application of Title III of the Helms-Burton, #Cuba, #Upcoming Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Havana, July 17 ( P L ) Cuba will defend principles such as non-meddling in the internal affairs of states and the right to peace at a preparatory meeting for the upcoming Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

According to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Anayansi Rodriguez, that Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau, to be held in Caracas on July 20-21, will serve as preparation for the eighteenth NAM Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, in October this year.

On the first day of the Caracas meeting, the NAM Ministerial Committee for Palestine will meet, which will be a favorable occasion to adopt a declaration of support for the cause of that people.

Cuba, as the founding country of this movement born in the midst of the collapse of the colonial system and the emancipatory struggle of the peoples of Africa, Asia, Latin America and other regions, is fully committed to the principles that gave rise to it, the official asserted.

Cuban President Pleads for Solution on Employment Issue.

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#Cuba, #Demographic dynamics in Cuba, #National economy., #President Miguel Díaz Canel

Havana, Jul 17 (P L) President Miguel Díaz-Canel pleaded to seek a temporary solution for workers dismissed from work in activities demanded by the national economy.

During a meeting held Tuesday in which he assessed the employment program and the attention to the demographic dynamics in the country, the Cuban leader highlighted the possibility to improve that more than 200,000 people have more than one job, in addition to developing off-site or remote job.

According to a national television report, the head of State also referred to business groups that have more companies than they can serve, while the coexistence between small and medium-sized businesses, not only in state, but also in private sector, was stated.

Historic Days in the Cuban Parliament.

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# The National Assembly of People's Power, #Cuban Parliament, #Legislature of the Cuban Parliament, #President Miguel Díaz Canel, #The parliamentary session, CUBA

By Orlando Oramas Leon Havana, Jul  (P L) The Third Period of Sessions of the IX Legislature of the Cuban Parliament is considered historic this Sunday, both for the approval of three important laws and for the debated issues, of citizen interest.

It was a parliamentary exercise that had the active participation of the president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, even in the debate and subsequent approval of the Electoral, National Symbols and Fishing bills.

It is the first time that the legislature approves three legislations in the same session, where also members of the National Electoral Commission were elected by secret and direct vote, on the proposal of the president, according to the Electoral Law.

This was the opinion of the president of the National Assembly of People’s Power, Esteban Lazo, who emphasized the popular character of this body, composed of deputies ‘elected by the people and for the people’.

This was the first time the Assembly had been convened after the approval in February of the new Constitution of the Republic, which granted six months to the legislative body to elect the body in charge of organizing and supervising elections, referendums and other acts requiring popular vote.

The parliamentary session also put a strong emphasis on economic issues.

It turned out that the Gross Domestic Product grew in 2018 by 2.2 percent, while the plan was a modest 1.2 percent increase.

International investors recognize Cuba’s guarantees, despite pressure from Washington

Tags

# Miguel Diaz-Canel, #Cuba, #Cuba advances, #law Helms-Burton.

“We must develop an export vocation in all entities. We need to substitute imports, because the less we spend, the more money to re-circulate within our own productive processes,” said Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, during a discussion with deputies on the National Assembly’s Public Services Committee.“We must develop an export vocation in all entities. We need to substitute imports, because the less we spend, the more we have to re-circulate within our own productive processes,” said Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Services Committee, in which deputies received updated information on Law No.118 that governs foreign investment in the country.
Legislators learned that the portfolio of business opportunities promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment includes more than 500 projects in different sectors, among which tourism stands out.
The introduction of foreign capital in our economy is today an essential part of our development strategy, which is why this is one of the main lines of attack pursued by the United States government, he said. But despite the pressures on international investors and companies in our country, all have maintained a firm position in rejecting the extraterritorial nature of U.S. laws, mainly the Helms-Burton.

Prohibition on sales of Cuban cigars in Brazil withdrawn.

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#Cuba, #Prohibition on sales of Cuban cigars, #Tabacuba Enterprise Group., Brazil

The president of Tabacuba (Cuba’s tobacco enterprise group), Justo Luis Fuentes Díaz, reported in a press conference that the Brazilian government has stepped back from its prohibition on sales of Cohiba cigars in that country.

Fuentes emphasized statements to Sputnik by Fernando Teixeira, executive director of Emporium Cigars which imports cigars to Brazil, in which he confirms that the National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (Anvisa) “incorrectly interpreted the Cohiba formula and the situation has been normalized.”

This past July 1, Brazilian media reported the prohibition on sales of Cohiba brand cigars, after Anvisa said an excess of sorbic acid, a natural substance used as a food preservative, had been found in its cigars.

In May, the agency rejected Cohiba’s request to renew its registration and gave the company 30 days to remove all cigars from shelves across Brazil.

Cuba: Presents Economic Plan 2020, Includes Cryptocurrency.

Tags

# Helms Burton Act, #Cuba, Cuba-US Relations

Cuba’s minister of economy says the nation will diversity exports and ‘consider cryptocurrency’ to manage U.S. sanctions.

Cuba’s Councils of States and Ministers met Tuesday to discuss the nation’s economy and provide plans around the worsening and illicit economic sanctions by the United States on the island.

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Cuba Condemns US Siege, Stresses Commitment to Socialism

Economic and Planning Minister Alejandro Gil said his department has come up with measures in its National Development Plan 2030 that are broad and “not static, and that can be changed depending the context” when he spoke at the roundtable where President Miguel Diaz-Canel was present.

Gil outlined during the meeting the most important aspects of the plan, which included diversifying and increasing exports while implementing an important substitution model. Gil’s department also stressed state investments in science, food sovereignty and strengthening state-owned companies.

The minister also said the nation was looking into cryptocurrency to create a more sustainable economy less affected by the whims of the U.S. administration under Trump.

“We are considering studying the application of cryptocurrency in national and international commercial relations (…). You have to see how you can incorporate measures of this type that allow us to move forward looking for a solution to the problems,” said Gil during the televised discussion.

The minister said the country should expect to double its production of animal feed. State workers should also expect a salary increase, according to Gil.

Granma reports that the Cuban government is set to concentrate efforts also on tourism, renewable energies, and communication across the island as well as eliminating fuel theft.

The friendship between Africa and Cuba is as deep as it is indestructible.

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#Cuba, Angola, Cuba and Africa, united forever

In the name of the Cuban and Angolan peoples, the José Martí and Agosthino Neto distinctions are awarded.

The Order of José Martí, the highest decoration awarded by the Cuban state was granted yesterday, July 1, to the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, who, for his part, in the name of his people awarded the Agosthino Neto Order to the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Army General Raúl Castro Ruz; to the President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; and Army Corps Generals Leopoldo Cintra Frías and Ramón Espinosa Martín, minister and deputy minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, respectively, and post mortem to Brigadier General Raúl Díaz Argüelles.

In a solemn ceremony held at the Palace of the Revolution in the Cuban capital, Council of State Secretary Homero Acosta stressed that the Angolan President has maintained, with exemplary dedication and in close unity with his people and his Party, the work of nation’s founding father, Agosthino Neto, and that Cuba has been honored with his friendship since the difficult years of the war in Angola. Thus the granting of the José  Martí Order is also a sign of the Cuban people’s respect for and friendship with the Angolan people.

President of Angola starts Official Visit Today

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#, #Cuba, #Cuba and Angola relations, Angola

Havana, Jul 1 (Prensa Latina) The president of Angola, João Lourenço, starts today an official visit to Cuba with the purpose of strengthening bilateral ties.

Lourenço, who was received Sunday at the José Martí International Airport by Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Anayansi Rodríguez, will pay tribute this Monday to the founding father and first president of Angola, Agostinho Neto.

By the way, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed via Twitter that he will receive his counterpart from Angola today, and described his visit as ‘important’, recalling the historic ties that have united both nations for more than 40 years.

The African statesman will deliver a lecture at the University of Havana, and on the second day of his stay will visit the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology worldwide reference in research for vaccines against cancer.

Trump knows about war, but nothing about solidarity.

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#Cuba, #Henry Reeve Medical Brigade, #Imperialism, #Trump Administration, #Venezuela

The only troops Cuba has in Venezuela are the doctors in our army of white coats, helping to save lives there, as thousands of others do around the world.

President Donald Trump shows no signs of ending his unfounded accusations of Cuba. In a June 20 interview on Telemundo – his first on Spanish language television – he stated, “Do you see what is happening in Venezuela? It’s awful. And do you know who is primarily responsible for the problem? Cuba. They have 25,000 soldiers there.”If that weren´t enough, he also said that he would “fix the situation in Cuba,” and that his policy of tightening the blockade, and adopting new measures to reverse the progress made in bilateral relations during the Obama administration, would “accelerate the transition towards democracy on the Communist island.”

He reiterated that Cuba is responsible for prolonging the crisis in Venezuela, with its military support to the government of Nicolás Maduro, although he admitted that Juan Guaidó has not been able to “displace” the Venezuelan leader since this is “a process” that takes time.

The U.S. President is definitely obsessed with Cuba and Venezuela, leading him to be irrational, compulsive, monothematic, and rude, repeating absurd arguments that are not believed even in his own country.

Cuba has exposed these and many other slanders invented in Washington, with reason and truth on our side. The only troops we have in Venezuela are the Cuban doctors in our army of white coats, helping to save millions lives there, as do thousands of others in many parts of the world. Our teachers and professors are also working in the Bolivarian nation, serving as coordinators and advisors to missions that have raised the quality of education in that country and taken it to the most remote places. There are art instructors who rescue and reinforce national and Latin American identity, and athletes who work in the recruitment and training of talented young Venezuelans, to represent the country in international competitions.

Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo at 54:

Tags

# Hero of the Republic of Cuba, #Cuba, #Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo, #Member of the Cuban Five, unjustly imprisoned in the United States

Interview with the decorated Hero of the Republic, a member of the Cuban Five, unjustly imprisoned in the United States for fighting anti-Cuban terrorism, financed and planned in that country, whose release was won in 2014.Gerardo: Well my parents. First of all my mother, that exceptional human being that she was, full of kindness and good humor and in my father, they were the ones who gave me life. I also think of my sister who died in 1998, of the people who at certain times were close and now are no longer here. And, of course, I think of those who are here, those who always, in one way or another are with me, who send me their message or accompany me, fortunately I have many friends and family.But, above all, I think of the people who made it possible for me to celebrate a day like today here with my family. You know that the empire’s plan with us was for this birthday to be just like so many others I spent in prison.If I am here, I owe it to the efforts of so many people, to so many comrades from Cuba and the world who did their part so that we could enjoy this day here as we are enjoying it, including you and so many compatriots who supported us in so many ways.

– The job you were given…you didn’t choose it. Would you accept it again now, after what you know?

Gerardo: I think so. I was asked the question several times when we returned. Sometimes more formally, sometimes informally, they asked me what I wanted to do, and I always said, “I have no preference but to serve the Revolution. I am a soldier of the Revolution and I will go wherever I am told to go. The task they gave me, I assume, is because someone thought I could do it well and that’s what I dedicate my efforts to, whatever it is. I got that one, of course I appreciate it very much. Sometimes I’ve been asked if I didn’t want to go to MINREX, etc. I always say that I’m fine there, doing exactly what I do, as Vice Chancellor of University Extension, with all the activities of the students.