Cuba declares willingness to improve economy without abandoning socialism

Havana, Aug. 21 (RHC) Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said the government will apply the necessary policies to strengthen the economy without risking the revolution.

In an interview with HispanTV broadcast here Tuesday, he said the island's authorities can weigh and apply all possible options to promote economic growth without "renouncing the fundamental principles of the Revolution."

"We will never abandon our socialism of social justice; we will constantly perfect it because times change and we are not afraid of change," he assured.

The head of government made the remarks during his visit to Tehran on the occasion of the inauguration of Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, who was recently elected for a four-year term.

"We will continue to defend the revolution, despite all these cruel attacks on social networks. We will continue to defend our socialism, and for this we have a people who are ready to accompany us in these hard struggles," he said.

Likewise, he criticized the administration of Donald Trump (2017-2021), which "during the pandemic of Covid-19 intensified the hostility against Cuba, imposing 243 additional sanctions to the blockade; they even denied us to buy oxygen and medical material in the United States," he recalled.

We will remain firm," he affirmed, adding that "our main weapon has always been not to give up, to count on a people who, despite all the difficulties, want to improve their quality of life within the Revolution.

Marrero Cruz pointed out that the solutions to Cuba's economic problems will not come from outside.

"We are betting on how to take advantage of our potential," he said, referring to the government's program to correct distortions and stimulate the economy, which aims to stop inflation and price increases, intervene in the illegal currency market and generate more income, among other things.

During the interview, the Cuban Prime Minister discussed issues related to the Caribbean nation's relations with Iran, the position on the Palestinian cause, sanctions against the Persian country, Venezuela, Cuba and Russia, and the election of Nicolás Maduro.

Regarding the relations between the Cuban and Iranian governments and peoples, he affirmed that they are very strong and that they have similar positions on many issues of global importance, which they manifest in international forums. The Cuban Prime Minister pointed out that last August 8th, official relations celebrated 45 years, which, according to him, "have been marked by a constant exchange at the highest levels of the leadership of both states".

Incidentally, he mentioned "the visit of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Rus (1926-2016) to Iran, the recent visit of President Miguel Díaz-Canel; three Iranian leaders have also visited Cuba" and the invitations exchanged between the authorities of both countries for official visits in the near future.

"Relations are at a great moment. We have a guarantee that they will continue and strengthen. Pezeshkian told us that he will set the date for the Intergovernmental Commission to be held in Havana before the end of the year," he revealed.

He reiterated that political relations are at the highest level and clarified that "although we have worked intensively on a cooperation agreement, we have not advanced to the same level in economic and financial relations".

He said that in the energy sector there are important negotiations "that we must continue to consolidate, especially in our effort to move to a gradual process of abandoning fossil fuels for energy generation".

Marrero Cruz also listed sectors in which exchange can grow, including transportation, communications and agriculture.

On the other hand, he pointed out that both Iran and Cuba support the Palestinian resistance and reject Israel's hostility towards this people.

What is most repugnant now is the passivity with which the majority of the world observes the genocide, "without there being a firm action, a sanctioning action against the State of Israel for all this massacre," he expressed.

Regarding the sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Russia and Cuba, he considered that these nations are united by the principles they defend and do not bow their heads "before the pretension of the government of the United States to dominate us".

The head of government also congratulated President Nicolás Maduro on his electoral triumph, saying that the Venezuelan people had given "the best possible gift to Hugo Chávez on the 70th anniversary of his birth" (July 28), and criticized the US government's efforts to destroy the Bolivarian Revolution and its attempts to prevent Maduro's triumph (Source: Prensa Latina)