19 October 2022 | For: Desoft Communications
According to the presentation to national and foreign media accredited in Havana of the most up-to-date report on the effects of the United States blockade against Cuba by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, the damages accumulated during six decades of application of that policy amount to 154,217.3 million. of dollars. In the specific case of the communications and information technology sector, including telecommunications from January to July 2021, it is estimated that the damages add up to 37 million 520 thousand 578 dollars
The main damages have been associated with the limitations or prohibitions on the supply of technologies and equipment produced under license or using US components, which implies that it is necessary to go to purchases in other, much more distant markets; the monetary-financial effects caused by exchange variations and the refusal of banks to carry out transactions with Cuba; effects on production and services due to higher equipment repair costs, since it cannot be done directly with the supplier and manufacturers in the United States; and the difficulties in accessing computer tools, which are essential for training and the production of national software content.
The blockade constitutes the main impediment to a better flow of information and broader access to the Internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs) by Cubans. By making connectivity in the country more difficult and more expensive, conditioning access to platforms and technologies, and using cyberspace to try to subvert the Cuban political and legal system, this policy negatively affects the development of communications in Cuba.