New York, October 8, 2019. The blockade continues to be the fundamental obstacle for the implementation of both the Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The harm caused by the blockade in the sectors of production and services in Cuba between April of 2018 and March of 2019 was calculated to be 79,000,000 dollars, which represents an increase of 28% when compared to the previous period.
Can you imagine what it would mean for Cuba to transform the cost of the blockade into the country's payment capacity? This would allow us, in the midterm, to have an official, substantive and sustained financing source that would provide greater dynamics to the investment programs associated with the strategic sectors of the National Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030.
In financial terms, it would allow us to favorably turn around the financial exposure of the country abroad, both from the qualitative and quantitative points of view, thereby consolidating the trust of foreign investors and creditors and substantially increasing the capacity to access financial and capital markets.
But the current Cuban scenario is quite the opposite.
Strategic and prestigious national industries such as the Biopharmaceutical industry are affected every year with million dollar economic losses in research, development, production and commercialization of their products, as a result of the blockade. U.S. measures against Cuba not only limit academic and scientific exchange, but they also deprive the U.S. people from receiving the benefits of biotechnological and pharmaceutical products developed in Cuba, which are completely new and promising for human health.
Some examples of the repercussions caused by the blockade in this sector are: the FARMACUBA importing-exporting company reported difficulties in obtaining raw materials for the elaboration of medicines as a result of the blockade against Cuba. Between April 1st, 2018 and March 31st, 2019, interruptions in the manufacturing process of medicines occurred in the "8 de Marzo" company, because they were unable to purchase the raw materials with the required periodicity. Approximately 2,000 oral suspension units and 61,184 capsules could not be produced.
Meanwhile, a manufacturer of medicines in an Asian country reported it could not ship Phenytoin 250mg/5ml for injection to Cuba, because the banks in said country were refusing to process any documentation related to the island, for fear of being sanctioned by the U.S. This situation entailed seeking out another supplier in Latin America under less favorable conditions.
On the other hand, the Colombian supplier PROENFAR was hired for the purchase of large-volume parenteral solutions, but since they have an American shareholder, the operation could not be done, and the production of 1,995,300 bags for these solutions was affected.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations