Havana, October 3 (RHC)-- Guided by the working commissions of the National Assembly, public hearings started in Cuba this Wednesday regarding the impact that the US blockade has had on life on the island.

At work places, universities and community centers and chaired by Parliament commission members, the hearings will extend throughout the month, in advance of the October 31st presentation by Cuba at the UN General Assembly of a draft resolution calling for an end to Washington's economic, financial and commercial encirclement of the island.

An annual report compiled by Cuba to accompany its proposed resolution lists the effects of the U.S. sanctions from April 2017 to March 2018, a period during which the hostile U.S. policy intensified.  The report estimates in more than 4.3 billion dollars the losses for Cuba during that span of time.

Cuba-sponsored resolutions demanding an end to Washington's blockade have been passed by the UN General Assembly since 1992, with support for Cuba growing exponentially.  During the last three years, 191 of the 193 UN member states have supported the Cuban anti-blockade resolution, with only the United States and Israel voting in opposition.