More than five billion dollars is the extent of the damage estimated of the US blockade against Cuba, just for the year March 2023 to February 2024. The Cuban government has published a report to support the annual resolution vote at the United Nations General Assembly at the beginning of November, to condemn the blockade.
Each year only 2-3 countries including the US have opposed the condemnation, the rest of the world has voted to support the end of the blockade.
During this period, the United States government maintained a maximum pressure policy against Cuba and continued to fully implement the economic, commercial and financial blockade. Measures introduced by Trump remained unchanged, including the illogical designation as a ‘State Sponsor of Terrorism’, with a stronger impact on Cuba’s economy and people.
The report states: “From March 1st, 2023 to February 29, 2024 the blockade caused material damages to Cuba estimated at USD 5,056,800,000, which represents an increase of USD 189,800,000 as compared to the figure that appears in the previous Report. All of the above reflect the strengthened impact of the blockade on Cuban exports, particularly in the tourism sector; the ruthless persecution of the country’s financial and banking operations as well as the comprehensive damages caused to Cuba’s entrepreneurial system, production and the services provided to the population.
The blockade is a crime against humanity, an act of genocide and a flagrant, massive and systematic violation of the human rights of more than 11 million Cubans. It is a cruel punishment policy.”
In the field of culture, the blockade hinders the search for market niches and business opportunities; it prevents the promotion, dissemination and marketing of Cuban cultural talents; lowers sales prices and greatly curtails the enjoyment of Cuban art by audiences from all continents.
Here are some specific examples mentioned in the report for this period in the field of culture:
It became impossible for the Cuban Recording and Musical Productions Company (EGREM), to receive direct payment from some clients, especially from Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Canada. Due to the extraterritorial character of the blockade, which targets bank transfers to Cuba, EGREM has ceased to receive all the income invoiced for the export of services (royalties on sales).
There is no direct access either to the distribution of Cuban music on international platforms, so EGREM must hire tertiary services, which are more expensive, for this purpose and this has had an impact on the decrease of up to 30 per cent of the incomes that the country could have otherwise received.
It is impossible for Cuban musicians to access Spotify, the main platform for consuming music, creating artist profiles, among other functions. Other sites, such as Vevo, which publishes music videos in high definition; and MySpace, which includes profiles of the world’s top-ranked artists, are not available in Cuba either.
The National Circus of Cuba records an 8 per cent loss per every payment invoice they receive for their contracts to stage their shows abroad due to the difficulties they face with payment gateways.
As for literature, due to the deficit in raw materials, there has been an accumulation of approximately 1,266 unpublished titles, which represents 4,092,977 copies. This reality has forced the country to take the decision not to approve a new Publishing Plan for hardcopy books in 2024.
In November 2023, a contract was signed with the US educational company Savvas Learning for the inclusion of works written by the Cuban poet, storyteller and playwright Virgilio Piñera in Spanish-language text books. However, the legal team of the entity recommended not signing the contract, as a result of the dissuasive effect of the blockade and the obstacles in the form of payment.
Cuba has been denied access to the web page of the directory of the Global Network of Schools Associated to UNESCO, for the explicit reasons of the US blockade. Nor has it been possible to access the platform indicated by UNESCO for the process of drafting the quadrennial periodic report of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
During this period, the cultural sector has also been the target of the subversive policy of the United States against Cuba, aimed at encouraging discontent, inciting emigration and deploying a ferocious media campaign against Cuban artists who have continued to work in the country, as well as against artists who wish to visit the Island. An example of this was the incident occurred at the end of 2023 with the renowned American singer Norah Jones, who was unable to travel to Cuba and participate in a musical experience in the country due to the media boycott she suffered as a result of her announced visit to the Island.
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