With the presence of Esteban Lazo Hernández, member of the Party’s Political Bureau and President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State, a parliamentary public hearing titled “Cuba Is Not a Threat; the Blockade Is” was held on Thursday.
The venue chosen was the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (INOR)—a place where the fight for life takes place every day, despite the difficult conditions imposed by the blockade.
Members of the National Assembly, along with students, workers, and healthcare professionals, filled the auditorium. There, the harm inflicted upon the Cuban people by the coercive measures applied by the United States government was denounced, supported by compelling figures and concrete examples.
Dr. Josefina Prosper, an INOR staff member, noted that 100,000 people are currently on surgical waiting lists—including 12,000 children—emphasizing that behind these figures are suffering patients and their families.
Deputy Carlos Antonio Leiva, a chemical engineer, stated that the pharmaceutical industry is severely impacted, as it cannot manufacture medicines due to a lack of raw materials. He remarked that, in some instances, “financial fear” travels faster than solidarity.
Deputy Ledys María Labrador explained that while Cuba maintains a comprehensive national formulary of medicines, 100 of the 395 essential drugs are currently unavailable, as manufacturing facilities await the necessary resources to produce them.
Another deputy, Yaser Toledo Garnache—who also serves as president of the Hermanos Saíz Association—stated that artists and writers, who face the same hardships as the rest of the population, also struggle to create the art that the people need; furthermore, due to energy shortages, they are often forced to shut down performance venues.
Present were Teresa Amarelle Boué, member of the Party’s Political Bureau and Secretary-General of the FMC, as well as members of the Party’s Central Committee: Ana María Mari Machado, Vice President of the National Assembly and the Council of State, and Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of Havana.
IMAGE CREDIT: Margarita Barrios | Photo: LUIS JIMÉNEZ
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
