Wyden Introduces Bill to End Cuba Embargo and Establish Normal Trade Relations
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., last night introduced the U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2021 to repeal outdated sanctions on Cuba and establish normal trade relations with the island nation.
“Our nation’s embargo on Cuba is an artifact from the 1960s. To continue this outdated, harmful policy of isolation would be a failure of American leadership. While Trump increased tensions with Cuba during his disastrous time in office, I am optimistic about President Biden’s new diplomatic course,” Wyden said. “Regardless, Congress has a moral and economic obligation to the American people to improve U.S.-Cuban relations as swiftly and safely as possible.”
The U.S.-Cuba Trade Act of 2021 would repeal the major statutes that codify sanctions against Cuba, including the Helms-Burton Act and the Cuban Democracy Act, as well as other provisions that affect trade, investment and travel with Cuba. It would also establish normal trade relations with the country.
Joining Wyden on the bill were U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
Latest Covid-19 update in Cuba (as of February 4, 2021)
Comparison of Statistics between US and Cuba 31,190 — Confirmed cases 5,544– Admitted for clinical epidemiological surveillance 25,364– Recuperated 229 — Deaths
Cuban patriots, wherever they live, know the blockade is criminal President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked the Cuban émigré community in the United States for organizing caravans to denounce the U.S. blockade
Granmafebruary 3, 2021 08:02:24
Photo: twitter.com/DiazCanelB President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked the Cuban émigré community in the United States, who took the lead this Sunday, January 31, in a caravan to denounce the blockade imposed on our country.
On his Twitter account, the President emphasized that Cuban patriots, wherever they live, understand that the hostile U.S. policy is a crime against the people of the island, writing, “Cuba thanks its emigrant sons and daughters for the Bridges of Love caravan.”
On bicycles and cars, carrying flags and posters with messages condemning the blockade and promoting “Bridges of love” between the Caribbean nation and the United States, participants demanded an end to coercive measures against Cuba, and called for the unity emigrants to achieve these goals, Prensa Latina reported. Caravans were organized to take place on the date in the U.S. cities of Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
On Saturday the 30th, member groups of the Alianza Martiana Coalition in Miami condemned subversive campaigns against the Cuban people and government, describing such activity as an old habit directed and financed by organizations with a long counterrevolutionary history in the United States.
Cuba will vaccinate its entire population against COVID-19 in 2021 Dr. Eduardo Martínez, president of the BioCubaFarma state pharmaceutical enterprise group, reports that work is advancing to expand production capacity of Cuba’s candidate vaccine Soberana 02
Author: Nuria Barbosa León | internet@granma.cu Author: Juan Diego Nusa Peñalver | internet@granma.cu january 26, 2021 10:01:39
The BioCubaFarma enterprise group is adjusting capacity to make possible the administration of Soberana 02 to more than 150,000 persons, while a new clinical trial with children has been launched, as more steps are taken along the path to vaccinating the entire population.
Photo: BioCubaFarma Cuba’s national public health system is waging a hard battle against the new coronavirus, sparing no effort and overcoming physical and intellectual fatigue.
The Party and government’s strong political will has made this possible, along with the impressive work of our scientists who have again reiterated that Cuba will be among the first countries in the world to vaccinate its entire population in 2021, despite the tightening of the U.S. blockade of the island over the past 12 months, stated Dr. Eduardo Martínez Díaz, president of the BioCubaFarma state pharmaceutical enterprise group, on his Twitter account.
The general director of the Finlay Vaccine Institute, Dr. Vicente Vérez Bencomo, has reported that the country is preparing capacity to produce 100 million doses of the injectable Soberana 02 vaccine against COVID-19.
Regarding this announcement, Dr. María Eugenia Toledo Romaní, epidemiologist at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), condemned the escalating sanctions imposed by the United States which have a negative impact on the effort to expand capacity toward this end, stating, “If we are obliged to purchase new machinery and erect more plants, this is extremely difficult given the limitations we face in acquiring the technologies.”
This is why BioCubaFarma is taking advantage of its international experience to sign agreements with other countries that can help with the needed resources and allow the project to advance.
Dr. Toledo additionally explained, “To conduct a Phase 3 clinical study of efficacy, in which we show that vaccinated subjects are less likely to become ill than those who were not vaccinated, we must measure this aspect and then make comparisons to find the necessary statistical evidence to finally determine that the candidate vaccine is no less effective than others on the world market.
SPARING NO EFFORT
Currently underway on the island is a Phase 2b expanded clinical trial
of the candidate vaccine Soberana 02 in persons between 19 and 80 years of age, in the Havana municipalities of La Lisa and Plaza de la Revolución.
Dr. Mayra García Carmenate, research coordinator at the 19 de Abril neighborhood polyclinic, explained that the site was selected for the trials because the facility has met the standard prerequisite of systematically adhering to “best practices,” and has participated in several months of training to prepare staff members involved and subjects who will receive either the vaccine or a placebo.
After administration of the vaccine, participants will remain under observation for one hour to evaluate any adverse side effects and will be actively monitored via out-patient follow up visits for a period of 28 days. If any reaction should occur, the subject is to immediately return to the clinic where a 24-hour medical post will be maintained to evaluate the situation and, if necessary, transfer the subject to the appropriate public health facility.
Dr. García noted that the community’s population is very enthusiastic and many have made their way to the clinic to volunteer. They have confidence in Cuba’s public health system and those selected are proud of their participation and the fact that their neighborhood was chosen for this type of clinical trial, she said, adding “None of those chosen during the recruitment have declined to sign the informed consent agreement.”
Volunteers and technical personnel alike are confident that Cuban science will defeat COVID-19 with intelligence and dedication.
You must be logged in to post a comment.