U.S. Economic Blockade Hurts Cuban Light Industry

Havana, Oct 28. -Damages caused to the Cuban Light Industry because of the U.S.-imposed economic, trade and financial blockade on the Caribbean nation amounted to 9.8 million USD in 2010.

Production in this sector has a direct impact on the provision of essential products and people's quality of life, states a report on Resolution 65/6 of the UN General Assembly entitled: "The Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba," presented at the global agency this week.

With 1.5 million USD of damages in the Cuban corporation Union Textil, the industry could produce about 88,200 care packages for newborn children, 52 percent for the 2011 plan.

If the Cuban printing corporation Union Poligrafica has 1.6 million USD the industry has lost as a result of the blockade, it could produce nearly 9,200,000 top-quality notebooks, 21 percent of the country's needs for the current academic course.

With losses valued at 1.4 million USD, the Cuban soap manufacturer Union Suchel could produce 872.8 tons of bath soap of Liz brand, equivalent to 6,900,000 bars of soap, states the text.

U.S. President Barack Obama has maintained intact that policy against Cuba, began almost 50 years ago, in spite of intensive and increasing requests by the international community, the resolution notes.

The direct economic damage to the Cuban people until December 2010, at current prices and with conservative calculus, the figure is far beyond 104 billion USD. (Prensa Latina)