Mr. Fernando González Llort:

Despite President Obama making the decision to change the relationship with Cuba two years ago, the blockade still remains.

His opinion, stated publicly, was that the blockade should be eliminated. However, the blockade can only be removed by Congress; it is a legislative decision, not an Executive one. There is not sufficient will in Congress for this change. It is not just a question of changing one law but involves a combination of laws. In the initial six months after Donald Trump assumed the Presidency, his Administration began a process of revision of Cuban-American policy. That revision culminated in a public declaration on the part of the President of the United States on the reinforcement of the embargo against Cuba, which was to be expected and would take place, the pursuit of every financial or commercial transaction with Cuba, discouraging travel by north Americans to our country and searching for a pretext to reduce the operations of their embassy in Havana and ours in Washington. This policy shift is having an effect on the functioning of our economy.

In terms of the private sector playing a bigger part in the economy, this is something that has been deeply debated in the Cuban Parliament. The promotion of small enterprises and small entrepreneurs does not go against socialist principles. Private enterprises are already a reality within the Cuban economy. What really creates imbalances and problems is the double currency that exists in Cuba. At the moment, we are involved in the very complex process of trying to unify the two currencies. We are looking for the exchange rate that will have the least impact on the economy when the two currencies are merged. It is a very complex issue that in another place could perhaps have been sorted from one day to another. The unification will have an effect on those who earn the least in Cuban society so when these changes are brought about, the emphasis is to be on having the least effect on those who are at the bottom and suffering the most. It is established already that the unification of the currencies has to happen as soon as possible. The imbalance which the Deputy observed is something that the Cuban Government is examining.

There was a reference to another imbalance in our economy, namely, that relating to the production of food. For us, it is contradictory that although we have land to cultivate, we have to import the equivalent of €2 billion each year in produce. Part of the policy of remodelling the Cuban economy has to do with maximising internal food production. There will always be a number of products that we will have to import because they cannot be produced in our climate. However, we need to be prepared to produce the largest amount of food possible. That is what our people expect and that is what we are working on. It has not been easy but we are working in that direction.

On Guantanamo Bay, it is a scar on our dignity. It is a territory on our island that the United States occupied in an illegal manner and that it maintains against the will of our people and our Government. There are American military bases in many countries. In some countries, they exist against the will of the population but are accepted by the national government. This is not the case with Guantanamo Bay.

The latter is the only military base which operates against the will of the people and the Government. It was obtained by the United States in an illegal manner at a critical moment in Cuban history. This is an important question because the debate is often made around should the base be opened or closed. There is no debate, however as to why that base is there or its legality or illegality. It is important that this issue becomes part of the debate's agenda. For Cubans, this is a key issue and there is no possibility of fully normalising relationships with the United States as long as it continues to occupy that territory. We can have increased dialogue with the United States Government but the complete normalisation of relations cannot happen while a territory in our state is being occupied.