Cuba denounces impact of US blockade on the country's watersheds

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 13 (ACN) The impact of the U.S. economic, financial and commercial blockade against the Cuban people is extremely harmful in general and in particular in watershed areas, denounced MSc Carlos Alberto Luaces Socarras.

Although each body related to the preservation of natural resources has an investment program, they are very limited by the extreme US administration's attack, warned Luaces Socarras, secretary of the National Watershed Council (CNCH by its Spanish acronym).

They have practically no access to the acquisition in the nearby U.S. market of raw materials, technologies, especially treatment plants, and raw materials for the construction of hydraulic pipelines, he specified in statements to the Cuban News Agency.

He pointed out that a commercial exchange of this type can be carried out with the United States in a normal way, but in our case we are forced to turn to third parties, even if they are geographically distant, which increases their costs and transportation.

The executive called attention to the situation of its significant impact on agriculture, where the effects are considerable due to the limitations in terms of fertilizers and fuels that influence the reforestation processes.

He confirmed that this year's investments in the sector amount to 138 million pesos, but could be more, if there were no blockage, due to the government's political will to resist and confront its onslaughts.

In 1997, the CNCH began a national program aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the environmental problems of greatest impact, strengthening the organization and institutional response in terms of sustainable development in their territories, always with the essential community participation.

A river basin is a territory with a single natural drainage system, that is, its waters flow into the sea through a river or into an endorheic lake, which means closed.

The National Watershed Council was created on April 8, 1997 by agreement of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers and since then its representatives have been working in provinces, in specific groups and technicians.

Limitations in access to state-of-the-art technologies for energy generation, equipment and spare parts, suitable means of protection and financial facilities are some of the regulations of the U.S. blockade that damage the energy and mining sector in Cuba.

Its losses are estimated at 125, 282,022 US dollars, while in the Electrical Industry business group the damages exceed the 16 million.