Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced what he said was a false narrative over unrest on the Caribbean island during a rally before thousands of supporters in Havana. “What the world is seeing of Cuba is a lie,” Diaz-Canel said Saturday, condemming “false images” on social networks that “encourage and glorify the outrage and destruction of property.” Instead Cuba offered assurances that it is moving forward with the vaccination process as it strengthens its health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of foreign visitors.
Diaz-Canel’s comments came six days after demonstrations against the government that took place on July 11 and 12, as thousands of Cubans took to the streets in Havana and other areas.
Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism issued a statement saying the demonstrations were, “the result of an opportunistic plan designed from the outside, at a time when the country is working hard to overcome the impact of the pandemic, despite the unprecedented tightening of the economic blockade imposed by the US government against the Cuban people.
“The incidents were stimulated and accompanied by a fierce campaign that was articulated mainly through social networks, with the purpose of discrediting and distorting the Cuban reality with fake news and manipulated images.”
The statement said Cuba is fighting hard against the COVID-19 pandemic and, despite the recent outbreak, “has achieved a case fatality rate of 0.65%, one of the lowest in the world. It already has its own vaccine, ABDALA, the first developed in Latin America, as well as four other vaccine candidates with high efficacy rates. The first clinical trial has begun for the pediatric population with the vaccine candidate SOBERANA 02.”
“At the present moment, more than 8 million doses have been administered, including tourism workers who have already been vaccinated in Havana and Varadero, and the second dose is being applied in Jardines del Rey.”
Cuba decided against importing foreign vaccines relying instead on its own. Some experts believed it was a risky bet but it has seemingly paid off, putting Cuba in position to enhance its scientific reputation, generate much-needed hard currency through exports and strengthen the vaccination drive worldwide.
Several countries including Argentina, Jamaica, Mexico, Vietnam and Venezuela have expressed an interest in buying Cuba’s vaccines.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism says Cuba will “continue guaranteeing the health and safety of visitors and workers, the protocols established by the country have been strengthened in all facilities and services of the tourism sector.
“All the institutions continue to function normally even under pandemic conditions.”
“All tourists,” said the Ministry, “including Canadian citizens who are in Cuba, enjoy total security and safety, and enjoy their vacations on our beautiful beaches.
“Cuba will continue to be a tourist destination of peace, health, and safety.”