The head of State pointed out that although the Caribbean nation has a planned economy, which takes into account the signals of the market, “everything is very much thought in terms of the people”.

During an interview with the Spanish journalist and writer Ignacio Ramonet, published by Granma newspaper, the president pointed out that sometimes the Cuban economy is criticized from a purely economist conception, which ignores the effects of the blockade imposed on the island.

“That blockaded economy, which still does not satisfy all our needs, maintains important social conquests that today in Cuba are assumed as a right; but in many places they are still not a conquest,” he reflected.

Díaz-Canel referred to the emergence of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MIPYME), a sector that, in his opinion, will continue to expand, forming part of the network of economic stockholders “and will be a sector that will not be an enemy to the Revolution.

The president pointed out that one of the principles of the Caribbean country, as part of the socialist construction, is that the main means of production are in the hands of the State and are represented by State enterprises.

Therefore, he pointed out, the greatest weight of the economy is in the state sector, without denying the important contribution of the non-state sector.

In view of this scenario, he stressed that it is necessary to correct some distortions “in the relations between state enterprises and state entities with non-state entities, so that all of them, as part of a group of economic stockholders in our society, contribute and are inserted in the National Economic and Social Development Plan”.

He informed that the Caribbean nation is working on updating a group of norms so that these relations work more coherently and really boost the economy of the whole country from the contribution of both sectors.

Díaz-Canel explained that there is a direct attempt by the U.S. government to turn the non-state sector into a sector of opposition to the Revolution, while there are contradictions in Washington as to whether MIPYMEs are “agents of change or spawn of the Cuban State”.

In Cuba, he assured, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are part of a business fabric necessary to continue advancing in the socialist construction, “involved and committed to the National Economic and Social Development Plan, and attentive to ensure that there are no distortions in this endeavor”.

ef/arm/ro/mk