Havana, July 16 (RHC)-- The president of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, commented during the extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers which met today that the Strategy to boost the economy and face the world crisis caused by the COVID-19 was approved last week by the Political Bureau, presided over by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Raúl Castro Ruz.

Among the most important issues addressed are:

- A strategy to confront COVID-19.

- National Plan for Economic and Social Development, which has already been approved by the Political Bureau and will be taken next week to the Council of Ministers.

- The Economic and Social Strategy for the promotion of the economy and confrontation with the global crisis caused by COVID-19.

Díaz-Canel acknowledged the impact of the crisis brought about by COVID-19 and the fall of the paradigms that imperialism has been promoting.

He also addressed Bolton's book, which has brought to light the slanders and lies used by the U.S. government to achieve its purposes, the persecution against Cuba and Venezuela, and the harassment of fuel between the two countries.

Every page of that book validates the denunciations of the Cuban Revolution against that government, he said.

Right now, in the last moments and days, there is speculation about measures that are necessary to solve our economic problems. The enemy, with its media systems, has worked to sow despair. What they never talk about is the greatest of our obstacles: the economic blockade, he denounced.

They have said that we are going to close the stores in CUC. And that is not so. We are going to maintain, at tremendous cost, the toiletries and layettes.

We are going to add a group of economic actors, to add products; but we also need to start selling a group of products in MLC to be able to use that money to strengthen our economy, the president clarified.

Some people, because we have not yet given the information, have been led astray.  But today, here we are going to talk about a system of measures.

The President of Cuba dismantled the campaign of the enemies of the Cuban Revolution, who have accused Cuba of dollarizing its economy and who are trying to sow an unfavorable state of opinion.

He explained that among the measures, which will be further discussed on the Mesa Redonda, is the distribution of an extra group of products through the basic basket.  He clarified that, although our stores are indeed partially out of stock, this is due to the financial persecution of Cuba by the United States, which has intensified during those months of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He clarified that, although some measures seem to benefit few, in reality, in the long run, they benefit many, due to the impact on the national economy.

Similarly, Díaz-Canel explained that with the satisfaction of the results achieved in the battle against COVID-19, efforts are now being focused on economic recovery.

Developing the economy means offering better benefits to the people; removing the obstacles to economic processes, implementing the guidelines...

The transformations of this stage, will be implemented gradually, but advancing in all simultaneously.

We have to learn to live with less imports and more exports; enhancing national production and establishing a sequence of actions based on priorities, he said.

He also announced a series of Mesa Redonda programs to explain the scope of the implementation of these measures.