The Cuban government has presented its annual report to the United Nations about the consequences of the continuing economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States which has defined the policy of the US towards Cuba for over 60 years. The effects of this undeclared war on the economy, society, daily life and dreams of progress of over 11 million Cubans have been without a single day’s respite. Over 80% of Cuba’s current population has never experienced life in Cuba without the blockade. From March 2022 to February 2023, the blockade caused losses estimated at USD 4,867,000,000 or, on average USD 13 million per day. The UN General Assembly will vote on Resolution 77/7 to end the US blockade against Cuba on 2 November 2023.
“The blockade caused losses of USD 83,446,000 in the area of culture alone in the period of March 2022-February 2023.”
Report of CUba to the un general assembly july 2023 on resolution77/7
The blockade has had a direct impact in the education, sport and culture sectors because of the difficulties in accessing financing, the limitations associated with the lack of fuel, the high costs of purchasing and transporting the required supplies, and also because of banking and financial obstacles to receiving payments for professional services offered abroad
Specifically as regards the effects of the blockade on culture, the report says:
“With regard to culture, the blockade makes it difficult to find market niches and business opportunities, prevents the promotion, dissemination and sale of our cultural talent, reduces sales prices to almost nothing and severely limits the enjoyment of our art by broad audiences across all continents.
During the period under review, the culture sector has been the target of the policy of subversion against Cuba by the United States, which has directed all its resources towards fomenting discontent, encouraging emigration, conducting a vicious media campaign against Cuban creators and artists who are still working in the country, thwarting their presentations abroad, including through harassment and physical violence, and promoting the severing of ties with cultural institutions in other countries.
In May 2023, the Cuban duo Buena Fe fell victim to this brutal smear campaign. During their concert in the Galileo Galilei hall in Madrid, as part of a European tour, audience members threw objects and subjected them to verbal insults in an attempt to disrupt their performance. The media harassment and abuse directed at the promoters and owners of concert halls led to the suspension of other performances planned for Salamanca and Zamora.
The Cuban intellectual and winner of the National Prize for Literature, Nancy Morejón, was also the target of the cultural and communications war against Cuba. In late May 2023, the organizers of the Poetry Market event, held in Paris from 7 to 12 June, cancelled her honorary presidency of the event, giving in to pressure from those who promote hate speech and persecution against Cuban artists.
Other artists residing in Cuba, such as Los Van Van, Haila Mompié, Alexander Abreu, Pedrito Calvo and Paulito FG, have been attacked and harmed by calls for boycotts and lynching in Miami.
Various forms of non-State management associated with the sector have also faced difficulties in importing and obtaining supplies as a result of the restrictions imposed under the blockade. This is the case for Cuban artists working in fine and applied arts: goods that they have ordered have arrived in Cuba with a delay of up to two and a half months because of discriminatory controls abroad, transfer operations, difficulties at ports of embarkation and the need to resort to distant markets to obtain these materials, with the result that purchase costs are four times higher.
The unjustified blockade of personal and institutional accounts linked to culture continues, as does bombardment with anti-Cuban propaganda on digital media, aimed at discrediting our society’s achievements and values.”
Cuba 50 
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