New York, 2 February 2021. The services of free and inclusive education, to which the Cuban State allocated 23.7 percent of the social expenditure budgeted for 2020, are affected by the blockade, due to various shortages and deficiencies that limit the teaching and learning process in different education levels.
From April 2019 to March 2020, the damage to the education sector in Cuba due to the US blockade is estimated at 21,226,000 dollars.
The main damages in this field are related to the additional payment of freight rates for the transportation of items purchased in distant markets, as well as the obstacles to receive payments for professional services provided abroad and the difficulties to access foreign funding. This adds up to the limitations linked to the lack of fuel, derived from the measures applied by the government of the United States.
In higher education, main damages reported are mainly related to difficulties to access technology and equipment for teaching and scientific research, and foregone income for provided services, among other elements that affect the development of the academic and scientific activity of Cuban universities and research centers.
For instance, it is remarkable the case of the University of Las Tunas, where a 444,000 dollars funding has not been received, for the second stage of the international Project RENERT, which is being developed between that university and the CUOMO Foundation. The amount was deposited in the bank of the counterpart to be transferred to Cuba. This transaction was blocked by a banking entity and the funds remain withheld. The project is on the use and exploitation of renewable energy resources in the province of Las Tunas, to benefit the local development of rural and coastal communities.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations
