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U.S. Blockade an Obstacle to Housing Development in Cuba
Cuba's housing industry is one of the main targets of the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the United States against this country, blocking housing development for Cuban families, say officials from the sector.
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Prensa Latina
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Cuba's housing industry is one of the main targets of the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by the United States against this country, blocking housing development for Cuban families, say officials from the sector.
Speaking with the press, the director of investment at the National Housing Institute, Roberto Vazquez, said that as a consequence of this barrier, the country cannot acquire construction technologies or inputs produced in the U.S.
He added that if Cuba were able to access these products from its northern neighbor, it would shorten the time needed to construct housing, directly benefiting the Cuban people.
Vazquez said it is a vital issue, since in addition to increasing the production of materials Cuba needs access to technologies designed to reinforce existing structures, clear conduits and detect leaks, making it possible for the country to recover and increase its available housing. However, limited to using the antiquated means at its disposal for more than two decades, the country faces great difficulties in the constant modernization of technology on an international scale.
In this regard, he mentioned the cases of deteriorated buildings both in the nationâ's capital, Havana, and the provincial capitals, which remain in that state for lack of specific technologies that could be purchased in the United States, were it not for the blockade.
This unilateral measure, applied by the worldâ's largest power for more than half a century, has a marked social impact, directly affecting the improvement of Cubans' living conditions, Vazquez maintains.
Between April, 2013 and March 31, 2014 alone, the damage to the housing sector by the blocked construction of homes and social institutions approaches $27.7 million USD, said Maribel Robaina, the director of Planning and Statistics at the Construction Ministry (Micons).
She explained that of this figure, $26.7 million corresponds to the damages caused by the inability to access U.S. technologies in the housing development arena. The remaining million are the additional forced expenditures on air and sea transport in order to purchase from markets further away, as an alternative.
Robaina remarked that without these damages, Micons could have invested the entire sum in repairing or building additional homes, schools, medical clinics, or any other kind of structure that would bring social benefits to the Cuban people.
Mario Larrinaga, the assistant director at the Construction Import/Export company (Imeco) said that the agency had been forced to acquire nearly half its essential construction products from distant countries. Some of these inputs include bathroom fixtures, roofing materials, supplies for municipal water systems, raw materials for local production, electrical supplies, tiles and drywall, for which $450,750 was spent on air or maritime shipping alone.
The national secretary for the union representing construction workers, Misael Rodriguez, said that the efforts of more than 200,000 construction workers in the country had been impeded by the lack of access to construction materials, not to mention the affect on the Cuban population for the deficits in housing and public works.
Speaking with the press, the director of investment at the National Housing Institute, Roberto Vazquez, said that as a consequence of this barrier, the country cannot acquire construction technologies or inputs produced in the U.S.
He added that if Cuba were able to access these products from its northern neighbor, it would shorten the time needed to construct housing, directly benefiting the Cuban people.
Vazquez said it is a vital issue, since in addition to increasing the production of materials Cuba needs access to technologies designed to reinforce existing structures, clear conduits and detect leaks, making it possible for the country to recover and increase its available housing. However, limited to using the antiquated means at its disposal for more than two decades, the country faces great difficulties in the constant modernization of technology on an international scale.
In this regard, he mentioned the cases of deteriorated buildings both in the nationâ's capital, Havana, and the provincial capitals, which remain in that state for lack of specific technologies that could be purchased in the United States, were it not for the blockade.
This unilateral measure, applied by the worldâ's largest power for more than half a century, has a marked social impact, directly affecting the improvement of Cubans' living conditions, Vazquez maintains.
Between April, 2013 and March 31, 2014 alone, the damage to the housing sector by the blocked construction of homes and social institutions approaches $27.7 million USD, said Maribel Robaina, the director of Planning and Statistics at the Construction Ministry (Micons).
She explained that of this figure, $26.7 million corresponds to the damages caused by the inability to access U.S. technologies in the housing development arena. The remaining million are the additional forced expenditures on air and sea transport in order to purchase from markets further away, as an alternative.
Robaina remarked that without these damages, Micons could have invested the entire sum in repairing or building additional homes, schools, medical clinics, or any other kind of structure that would bring social benefits to the Cuban people.
Mario Larrinaga, the assistant director at the Construction Import/Export company (Imeco) said that the agency had been forced to acquire nearly half its essential construction products from distant countries. Some of these inputs include bathroom fixtures, roofing materials, supplies for municipal water systems, raw materials for local production, electrical supplies, tiles and drywall, for which $450,750 was spent on air or maritime shipping alone.
The national secretary for the union representing construction workers, Misael Rodriguez, said that the efforts of more than 200,000 construction workers in the country had been impeded by the lack of access to construction materials, not to mention the affect on the Cuban population for the deficits in housing and public works.