The head of state insisted that no effort be spared to show the more than four million people who visit the island every year that, despite the severe impact of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government, traveling to Cuba will remain attractive, pleasant, and safe.

Minister of Tourism Manuel Marrero Cruz reported that the Varadero International Hotel, inaugurated on September 14, stands out among new facilities opened this year, including the Paseo del Prado, in Havana; the Kempinski Resort and the Grand Muthu, in Cayo Guillermo; and the first hotel on Cayo Cruz. In addition to these are new facilities from the Encanto group in Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Gibara, Santiago de Cuba and the capital

“Over the last 15 years we have renovated 76 heritage buildings. Of these, 64 are today Encanto boutique hotels and 18 offer extra-hotel services,” he said.

The Minister added that investments are being made in nature tourism, recreation, and popular camping; coordination is progressing with the non-state sector; and cultural tourism is being promoted. In addition, commercialization of aesthetic and medical treatments is being prioritized, through a joint strategy with the Ministry of Public Health.

Also reviewed during the meeting was the substitution of imports, with joint efforts being made by the ministries of Agriculture and Industry, for the selection of products to replace those purchased abroad. (National news staff)

PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES

- We cannot overlook everything the tourism sector brings to the country in economic and social terms, in addition to serving as a bridge, because with every tourist who visits us, he said, the imperial blockade’s regulations are being challenged.

- We must develop new tourism products, not only sun and sand vacations, but activities linked to health, culture, history, heritage, and nature, in which Cuba’s uniqueness is present.

- Many people do not come today as a result of the blockade, but we will overcome this and we will defeat it. We cannot wait until that time to expand our hotel capacity.

- The tourist industry must include collaboration between the state and non-state sectors, and be integrated with local development programs.

(Granma)

In a Twitter message, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla emphasized the Bolivian leader’s actions in the face of an environmental disaster, writing, “We recognize the leadership of President Evo and the brothers in Bolivia, who are confronting fires in their area of the Amazon. They can count on our solidarity and support…”

The indigenous President has adopted significant measures to protect Mother Earth from the flames that have affected more than 700,000 hectares in Bolivia. First was the key step of creating an Environmental Emergency Cabinet in Roboré, in the department of Santa Cruz, charged with evaluating the situation, facilitating help, and attending to the most urgent needs of the population and nature impacted by the fires, according to the country’s Ministry of Communications.

Official Bolivian reports indicate that working in the area are 1,800 soldiers, 450 police, 21 ambulances and 42 water trucks with their crews, as well as a large number of doctors and volunteers, for a total of more than 4,000 persons. This coordinated response has contributed to preventing any loss of human life, to date.

Some 2,000 residents and firefighters have been provided medical assistance, although no severe cases have been reported, according to statements by the country’s Health Minister, Gabriela Montaño.

Also deployed were veterinary personnel to aid domestic and wild animals, and refuge centers were created for the area’s fauna. A report on RT indicated that seven aircraft are fighting the fires, among these a Boeing 747 Super Tanker leased by the Morales government.

Of course, criticism from the opposition was not long in coming, but quickly lost steam given the preliminary results of measures taken by the President, who tweeted, “I thank the press for visiting Chiquitanía to verify the struggle underway against the fires. Together we confirmed a reduction in the number of hotspots over the last few days, from 8,000 to 162.”

Morales has provided a personal example of the attitude required to overcome a natural disaster: cooperating with the firefighting brigades; coordinating the Emergency Cabinet’s work; inspecting affected areas from the air; holding meetings with residents; and temporarily suspending his campaign as the Movement to Socialism (MAS) candidate for President in the upcoming October elections, given the difficult situation in Chiquitanía. He has additionally declared an “ecological pause” in affected areas, which includes a prohibition on land sales, and accepted international aid, which is still insufficient.

No less important is his call for a meeting, to address the fire emergency, of foreign ministers from the Amazon Treaty Cooperation Organization’s (OTCA) member countries, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

The Bolivian government, and its President in particular, have promoted the hashtag #UnidadEnLaAdversidad (UnityInAdversity), sharing news on the fires via social media. A good maxim for a sister people confronting a great challenge – a difficult task that requires the best from human beings, and especially unity to fight the flames and begin the recovery.

The Amazon’s importance for the world

- The Amazon rainforest covers 7.4 million square kilometers, 5% of the world’s continental land surface, including areas in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.

- The Amazon River is the largest in the world, carrying an average of 230,000 cubic meters of water per second, 20% of the fresh water on the planet.

- Indigenous groups, with great cultural and linguistic riches, account for 17% of the population in the region. These native peoples have always used the rainforest’s resources in a sustainable manner thanks to their knowledge of its biodiversity and ecosystem.

- Amazonia is a region of great geopolitical importance both nationally and internationally, given the scarce, strategic resources it holds, its environmental importance, and cultural patrimony.

Source: Cepal

In May of 2016, taking advantage of the nature of the distillery’s roof, a solar photovoltaic park was installed, composed of 2,752 panels, capable of generating more than 900 megawatts annually, according to Carlos Rubén Armas Díaz, plant director.

The distillery is a pioneer in the use of solar energy in Cuba, he added, and the strategy is linked to steps being taken to prevent, mitigate, and eliminate the negative environmental impact of the rum production process.

Of all energy produced by the solar panels, the plant consumes only 38%, and the rest, 62%, is delivered to the national power grid (SEN), allowing for important savings and greater efficiency at the Agustín Rodríguez Mena distillery, Armas noted.

Some facts provided by the director confirm this. Through the first four months of the year, more than 6,000 pesos have been earned supplying electricity to the national grid, while more than 175,216 pesos have been saved with reduced energy consumption since the project was launched two years ago, he reported.

Other elements that reveal the significance of this project include the fact that the release of 19,142 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has been avoided, since the burning of 473 tons of crude oil was not needed, thus also saving the national economy 279,000 pesos. Plus, loss of energy in transmission has also been eliminated, according to an explanation provided by electrical engineer Gustavo Otero Barroso, who is in charge of the photovoltaic park.

Constructed at a cost of 1.8 million euros, the investment will be recovered within a period of 15 years, and among the solar park’s advantages is the fact that little staff is needed for maintenance and operation, since just two people are required to handle its daily cleaning and functioning, Otero explained.

Another indication of the utility of this technology is its ability to withstand extreme weather phenomena, since it is designed to tolerate winds of up to 240 kilometers an hour – a strength proven during Hurricane Irma, when all panels were ready for operation just one day after the storm.

Given results obtained in the production of rum with the use of renewable energy and appropriate waste management, as well as studies conducted on health risks and vulnerabilities in the event of natural disasters, the Central Rum Distillery was awarded the Provincial Environmental Prize, as well as a number of quality prizes, including the 2007 international recognition granted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to companies making outstanding efforts to promote cleaner production.

SPECIFICATIONS

-The name of the renowned Cubay brand is of Arawak origin, and emerged from the recovery of the closest rum making tradition in the region, coming from the San Lino distillery in Cienfuegos, where liquor was produced, and El Infierno, located in Sagua la Grande. The experience of these rum makers and the spirits stored in their warehouses were brought to the George Washington sugar mill, in Santo Domingo.

-According to the explanation provided by industrial engineer Carlos Rubén Armas Díaz, director of the Central Rum Distillery, Cubay was first produced in 1996, when the Carta Blanca and Cubay Añejo rums were born, a line that has grown with new types, including Carta Blanca Extra Viejo, Extra Añejo 1870, Elixir 33, and Remedios 500, among others.

-Distinguished as a rum with singular characteristics, very different from those produced in the country’s eastern region, specifically Santiago, which is somewhat sweet, as well as that distilled in the west, especially Havana Club, which is drier, Cubay is an intermediate between the two schools, according to master rum maker César Augusto Martí Marcelo.

-With a production of 400,000 boxes a year, Cubay is available throughout the national market and served at major tourist resorts, in addition to selling well in various nations in Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe, in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Italy, which saw a 40% increase last year.

(Granma)

During the meeting, which included the participation of Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Second Secretary, José Ramón Machado Ventura, officials assessed progress made in efforts to repair damage, above all to the agricultural sector, roads, homes, and water supplies.

Preliminary evaluations indicate that 9,972 homes from Pinar del Río to Ciego de Ávila suffered some sort of damage, of which 486 are reported to have been completely destroyed. It was noted that resources have already been sent to these provinces to aid recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, the bridge located at kilometer 213 of the National Highway is set to be reopened shortly.

Officials reported that Cuba’s reservoirs currently contain 5,000 cubic meters of water following the heavy rains. Water levels in five reservoirs rose beyond maximum capacity, while efforts are underway to repair 136 aqueducts which were damaged.

Likewise, 1,500 hectares of bean crops were ruined and some 10,000 of root vegetables were affected. Efforts are currently underway to salvage all possible crops and deliver them directly to market.

Officials noted that power has been restored in most areas, although some are still without electricity after they were cut off due to flooding.

As for food supplies, subsidized products were delivered on time to all relevant outlets and sales of non-regulated products remain stable.

It was also reported that the 43 schools that served as shelters for evacuees have now reopened, while the epidemiological situation is under control and no outbreaks of disease have been reported thus far.

Díaz-Canel called for a thorough, methodical investigation of the circumstances which led to the death of eight people and disappearance of one other as a result of heavy rains and flooding.

The Cuban President also reminded citizens to remain alert, with heavy rainfall forecast for the coming days.

(Granma)

The country has taken important steps toward meeting this ambitious goal, but there is much to be done, and more than a few challenges to be overcome. To better understand the situation, Granma spoke with Luis Hilario Bérriz Pérez PhD, president of the state enterprise Cubasolar, who believes, “We can become a leader in terms of renewable resources, as we are in many other areas.”
Before focusing on the issue of renewable resources, could you comment on some of the strengths of our energy policy.

The national energy policy has changed, I would even say radically, and one of the events that showed this was Irma. In the wake of the hurricane, the country was left at zero in terms of electrical generation. This is the first time that has happened. But by a week later, Havana had reestablished 95% of its service, and the country had practically 100% of its electricity within a month.

This can sometimes be perceived as normal, something we’re used to. But we can understand the difference when we look at Puerto Rico, since despite the United States being one of the world’s most powerful empires, the island still has not recovered in terms of energy, since Hurricane Maria hit. This reflects several issues and the first is, without a doubt, the social system. This happens here because we have demonstrated that we have a highly resilient energy policy, based essentially on distributed generating that lends itself to a very rapid recovery.

Beyond this undeniable reality, we know that demand for energy in Cuba is growing, making clear the need to search for alternatives, such as the use of natural gas, biogas, and renewable resources, to ensure the country’s economic sustainability…

That’s right. In 2017, 58% of energy use was concentrated in the residential sector, and moreover, the greatest portion of this energy was used for cooking and refrigeration. Some experiments and statistical analysis have shown that, for example, expanding sales of bottled gas could allow for a reduction in the maximum demand of around 360 MW.

Another very interesting fact is that, Cuba’s territory, of about 111,000 square kilometers, receives solar radiation equivalent o the energy produced by 50 million tons of oil, everyday. That is, the solar radiation Cuba receives in a single day, is greater – in its energy value – than all the oil consumed in five years. Imagine the impact, if we were able to take advantage of this incredible potential, to use increasingly more of our own energy resources.

The estimated projection is that by 2030, renewable resources will be used to generate 24% of the country’s electricity, and these could provide for 60% of the growth in consumption.

Among the terms used in relation to the issue is making our homes and state institutions “energy-plus” sites. What does that mean?

To explain this aspect, we must refer to Decree-Law 345, “On the development of renewable resources and efficient use of energy.” This regulatory framework allows for something I would call a revolution within our Energy Revolution. To date we have been thinking about consumption, and this decree is telling us that we can become producers of energy, that the electric company can buy the energy we are able to produce.

Of course, to do this, knowledge and resources are indispensable. For example, if I want to have hot water in my house, using solar energy, either I need a heater, or I need resources and information to make a heater. Or if I want to become an energy producer, I need a photovoltaic panel. Therefore, another big challenge is the production of these elements by our national industry.

This decree also allows for the gradual elimination of obstacles and customs tariffs on importing equipment that operates with renewable resources, or resources for their construction.

A change of mentality, and lots of information, are very much needed, because we have learned to protect ourselves from the sun and use oil, but it’s time to change this behavior and take advantage of the infinite possibilities of solar energy.
But using the energy is not enough, it must be collected and stored, right?

Storage is an indispensable element if we want to become a country of producers and not of net consumers. For example, if you ask most local authorities about the energy they have at their disposal, they talk to you about the national plan, what is allocated to them, but this what is given to them, not what they have. The energy you really have at your disposal is that you have managed to accumulate.

Accumulation must be based on the final use. If you need water, you need to collect water. If you need light, you need to collect and store electricity.

To get an idea of what this means, we could explain to people that the radiation their houses receive, on just one square meter of their roof, is equivalent to their home’s entire monthly consumption. This is where the local factor comes into play, because this process must take place at your house, at mine…
Considering the principles of sustainable development, could we say that it has a direct relationship to our socialist social system?

I use a formula that for me is the answer to that question: Renewable Energy Sources + Accumulation of Energy + Socialism = Sustainable Development. Anyone can talk about sustainable development, but it is not a capitalist concept. It is a concept that necessarily involves human solidarity, in which the social being is always placed above money.

DECREE-LAW 345

- Article 6. The production of equipment, means, and replacement parts for the development of renewable sources of energy, and those needed to increase efficiency in the use of electrical energy and fuel, constitutes a strategic objective for the nation’s industry.

- Article 7. New construction undertaken as part of investment projects, will use architectural designs that contribute to energy savings, in accordance with what has been established in current legislation.

- Article 8. Individuals and incorporated entities can acquire equipment using renewable energy sources and others that allow the efficient use of energy at moderate prices, or through bank loans, in accordance with principles established in current legislation for the granting of credit.

- Article 10.1. Incorporated entities which import raw materials, components, parts, pieces, equipment, and accessories for the execution of an investment projects, or which fabricate equipment, devices, and spare parts for the use of renewable energy sources, will enjoy tariff exemptions, following procedures established by the Ministry of Finances and Prices.

- Article 15.1. The Ministry of Energy and Mines will promote the production of energy by consumers, including the residential sector, on the basis of technologies that take advantage of renewable energy sources to allow for self sufficiency and sales of any surplus to the national electric grid.

- Article 15.2. The Electric Union will buy all electricity generated with renewable sources of energy produced by independent producers, as long as established technical norms are observed.

(Granma)

In the case of this island, the chronogram has as main organizer the United Nations Development Program – Cuba, focused on the effects of Climate Change to the dangers of floods and droughts in the center-north of the country, affected by Hurricane Irma in September 2017.

In addition to Camagüey, the largest region of Cuba with 16,000 square kilometers; Ciego de Avila turns out another province with over a dozen coastal municipalities fully involved, and where it is intended to strengthen the capacity of comprehensive management for preparation, response and prevention against threats of floods and droughts.

A system composed of several specialists from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), will allow during 18 months to carry out a set of actions to improve adjusting capabilities to climate variability.

In statements to the press, Elvilayne Vidal, administrative assistant of the Risk and Disaster Area of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), assured that work will be carried out on ‘the expansion of connections for the transmission of hydrological data and the revision of the protocols of prevention of the reservoirs.’

EUROCLIMA + Cuba is extended by another 25 municipalities in the center and north of the country; in subsequent stages Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey, with a total of 7 underground basins and the same number of superficial basins of provincial or national interest.

(Prensa Latina) 

First, with an earthquake that killed at least 673 people. Second, when the government moved to investigate and potentially dissolve a nonprofit called Accion Ecologica in connection with deadly violence between members of an Amazonian tribe and police sent to protect a Chinese-operated mining project.

Ecologists and prominent activists friendly to the group, including heavy-weights such as Naomi Klein, called out what they characterized as a callous repression and criminalization of Indigenous people protecting the unparalleled richness of the Amazon and alleged state prejudice against an underdog non-profit organization that was only there to save the rainforest and its inhabitants.

Ecuador’s socialist government, on the other hand, sees the “underdog” label as misplaced.

NGOs may be seen as do-gooders, but that’s not always the case. As a country historically vulnerable to the whims of powers in the North, Ecuador has, under the administration of the outgoing President Rafael Correa, put up a guard against a new kind of public diplomacy from abroad that focuses on gaining the favor of civil society to indirectly execute their political priorities.

NGOs are flagged when they operate outside the bounds of the law and their stated objectives, indicators of potential pressure from outside funders to protect their interests rather than those of nationals.

“We’re an Ecuadorean NGO, born here in Ecuador and working for 30 years in the defense of the rights of the environment and of communities across the country, and for that work we are very well known, even at an international level,” Alexandra Almeida, president of Accion Ecologica, told teleSUR.

“But that doesn’t mean that a foreign organization could manipulate us with anything — with funds, with nothing — that’s how we operate.”

NGOs have rarely had to justify their work to anyone, let alone prove that they act for the good of the people only. But Ecuador is not an ordinary country. Rich in resources but export dependent, authorities are attempting to manage the many foreign hands trying to pull the country’s development in their favor.

This government is the first to scrutinize NGOs, but their scrutiny has not been limited to Accion Ecologica.

In 2012, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa boldly declared that NGOs have been entering the country like never before during the previous decade. Many, backed by foreign states and foreign money, are out to destabilize the state, Ecuadorean leaders stated.

“Their interest is not the country, impoverished sectors, natural resources or strengthening democracies,” said Paola Pabon, director of the National Ministry of Political Management, which is responsible for tracking NGOs, in an interview with teleSUR last year. “What interests them is having control over governments, having influence over civil society to create elements of destabilization.”

Executive Decree 16, which went into effect in 2013, created a system to catalogue the financing, decision-making and activities of every registered social organization — a total of over 46,000 in the country, including non-profits, unions and community organizations, among others.

The resulting action saw 26 foreign NGOs expelled from the country for a lack of transparency and compliance with national law; in brief, for declaring themselves “non-governmental organizations” while acting on behalf of foreign governments. Among the more high-profile cases was Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical missionary relief organization that received funding and support from USAID. Fifteen others were given two weeks to get their activities in order.

A handful of Indigenous organizations, which had previously mobilized against Correa’s government, attacked the decree via the Constitutional Court. Two years later, Ecuador reformed the regulations with Executive Decree 739, which fine-tuned the reasons for closing an NGO — the main one, “diverting from stated objectives” — and, caving to demand, eliminated the requirement for organizations to register projects financed from abroad.

The trend that prompted Ecuador’s law was not without precedent.

Through the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, and the linked but publicly independent National Endowment for Democracy, known as NED, the United States pumped over US$100 million into Venezuela to create 300 new organizations credited with contributing to the coup d’etat against Hugo Chavez in 2002. In a similar move, USAID admitted that it tried to provoke a “Cuban Spring” by setting up Zunzuneo, a kind of Cuban Twitter, to circulate calls to protest.

The most common nonprofits close to foreign governments and private interests are those that stand tallest against their states. In Ecuador, that tends to be groups that work closely with Indigenous communities, with those protecting their right to their land and with those defending women and the environment. Funding by private foundations and corporations, while more widespread, is far less transparent and tougher to quantify. Big names like the Ford Foundation and Open Society, however, are well known for injecting funds into NGOs in the global south to advance specific political visions.

But the United States isn’t the only country to have funneled funds to Ecuador through NGOs.

Official numbers from Ecuador’s Chief Administrative Office of International Cooperation, or SETECI, show that since Correa assumed office in 2007 until 2015, foreign NGOs have managed over US$800 million from abroad. Top givers include the U.K. and Spain, followed by several European states.

No one, however, beats the United States. In that same period, the U.S. sent over twice the amount of money of the next-highest donor, with a total of over US$282 million and 780 projects, or 35 percent of all funding.

Of those funds, which only count NGOs based abroad that invested in local or regional projects, 13 went to projects in the Amazon led by non-profits like Care International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the World Wildlife Fund, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas. Projects based in Morona Santiago, the province where the anti-mining protests that led to the death of police office broke out, brought in over US$1 million from the U.S. since 2007.

The flow of funds is indicative of a broader attitude between receiver and giver, who “take advantage of the assumption that they have a perfect democracy, which is completely false – there’s a paternalistic attitude that must be regulated,” said Fernando Casado, research fellow at the National Institute for Higher Studies on public administration in Ecuador and Venezuela. Conversely, a flow in the opposite direction would immediately raise suspicion from developed countries, he added.

Yet money itself doesn’t tell the full tale: the funds are tied directly to foreign policy objectives, Casado told teleSUR. “The powers of the North have changed strategy.”

Each state has its own way. Germany, which has had 151 NGO projects in Ecuador since 2007, is known for meddling in affairs of developing countries through its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, or BMZ. When SETECI found that three-quarters of its funds went toward stopping another mining project in the Amazon’s Yasuni region last March, it kicked the German agency out of Ecuador.

The United States has several agencies do its work, the most prominent being USAID, NED — funded through money allocated to USAID by Congress — and the Broadcast Board of Governors. The stated missions: to promote development, democracy creation and a free press, respectively, while strictly adhering to U.S. foreign policy priorities.

“We should not have to do this kind of work covertly,” said former head of NED Carl Gershman on CIA missions to the New York Times in 1986. “It would be terrible for democratic groups around the world to be seen as subsidized by the CIA. We saw that in the 60s, and that’s why it has been discontinued. We have not had the capability of doing this, and that’s why the endowment was created.”

What Givers Want

The “work” the United States has set out for Ecuador — according to a 2016 Office of Inspector General report on the U.S. embassy leaked by WikiLeaks — is “to mitigate the effects of the contentious political environment created by the Ecuadorean Government” with the help of other government agencies, which play a “critical role.”

The report, intended for the eyes of the BBG and Congress, said the embassy was “actively engaged with civil society leaders and nongovernmental organizations to increase Ecuadorean awareness of and support for U.S. policies and values, promote Ecuadorean civil society and government accountability, and strengthen environmental initiatives.”

To set up a climate conducive to U.S. meddling, the U.S. Government Accountability Office included Ecuador on a shortlist with Colombia, Egypt and the West Bank/Gaza the year Correa was elected to closely study public opinion in “specific, targeted public awareness campaigns.”

It also either commissioned or was the beneficiary of a study from Stratfor, a secretive intelligence company contracted by the State Department and the U.S.’s multinational titans, which evaluated the extent to which Ecuador is manipulable by NGOs. The 2013 report, leaked by WikiLeaks, focused especially on how NGOs can influence trade policy and corporate regulation. Its conclusion: based on a scale likely defined in relation to other developing nations, Ecuador is fairly resilient to NGO pressure but has submitted in certain instances.

USAID sends hundreds of millions to local projects in Ecuador, some less explicitly political, but some indirectly benefiting opposition groups, according to U.S. Ambassador in Ecuador Adam Namm. BBG affiliate, TeleAmazonas, has been accused of fomenting strong opposition rhetoric against Correa. And the NED spends over US$1 million annually on dozens of local programs with broad objectives like “promoting citizen oversight of elected officials,” “monitoring due process and the independence of the judicial system,” “monitoring the use of public resources in government advertising” and “facilitating dialogue and consensus on democracy.”

Both Germany’s BMZ and USAID are back in Ecuador following a deluge of NGO activity after the April earthquake. The workload of the National Ministry of Political Management has peaked ever since, said Pabon.

One pet project of USAID was the Conservation in Managed Indigenous Areas, or Caiman, which ended before Correa took office but was among several USAID programs to conserve the country’s biodiversity and promote alliances between Indigenous communities and private businesses.

Caiman worked with various groups working in ecological and Indigenous rights, including Accion Ecologica. For several years, Caiman had Accion Ecologica help them battle against the Ministry of the Environment and train park rangers to oppose contamination from oil and mining.

Whether or not USAID or foreign foundations have funded Accion Ecologica directly is unclear. Unlike many others in the industry, the non-profit does not publish its financial information on its website, and refused multiple requests from teleSUR for copies of audits. When asked, the organization’s president said she does not know specifics on foreign funders and could not answer.

Almeida did say that Accion Ecologica receives funds from Europe — from individuals, “small organizations, alliances, groups that form” around fundraising events on ecological issues. She did not say how much or cite specific names but mentioned Italy and Belgium.

Accion Ecologica refused multiple requests for copies of audits

A 2012 investigation from Andes, an Ecuadorean state publication, found that both Accion Ecologica and the Regional Foundation of Human Rights Advising, another powerful nonprofit, are financed by the European Commission, Oilwatch, the Netherlands embassy and a few international ecological networks. Almeida said the accusations were false.

While Europe may be the principal interested party in the success of Accion Ecologica, the U.S. is also well known to have played an active role in similar battles.

In 2013, the year after Correa took the lead against foreign NGOs and a year before he expelled USAID, Bolivia accused USAID of spending US$22 million to divide Indigenous groups on the exploitation and nationalization of oil in their lands.

“Since the right can’t find arguments to oppose the process of change, it now turns to campesino, Indigenous and native leaders who are paid by several NGOs and foundations with perks to foment a climate of conflict with the national government to deteriorate the process of unification that the country is experiencing,” said Morales as he gave USAID the boot.

“Theoretically speaking, NGOs shouldn’t exist,” said Casado. NGOs operate within a logic of narrowing, minimizing and weakening the role of the state so they can keep filling holes in public services and keep their jobs, which are at risk of disappearing if the state works as it should, added Casado.

“They elect themselves representatives of civil society in general,” and yet their role is limited and entirely reliant on and responsive to funding, which at the end of the day remains in their pockets. Other social organizations and popular movements, said Casado, operate only on conviction.

If an NGO is completely free to operate without regulations, a country would open itself to any corporate and foreign interest that found an open hand, he argued. Latin America is intimately familiar with that process — of consolidating power in the monied class — and NGOs back similar corporate interests, only with a more benevolent face.

It’s near-impossible to identify the perfect case of foreign intrusion — and, as in Accion Ecologica’s case, near-impossible to prove. Multiple factors are always at play, from the ideology of individual members to the decision-making process to however events play out on the ground. Casado said that the first step to uncovering hidden interests is financial transparency — a move that faces stiff opposition precisely for the interests that it could reveal.

Ecuador’s answer is to carefully collect records and draw a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not. Foreign NGOs, state the decree, cannot participate “in any form of party politics, any form of interference or proselytism, any threat to national security or public peace or any other activity not permitted under their migratory status.”

Case Closed?

When Accion Ecologica testified before the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of the Environment, it argued that it had been doing the same work — protecting the rainforest — for decades, always in a peaceful manner. The evidence presented showing they provoked violence through a series of tweets in and around the time of violent clashes was “a bit absurd, very absurd,” said Almeida.

In the end, the government’s case did not hold, and the Environment Ministry concluded there was not enough credible evidence to shut down the group. Accion Ecologica credited “pressure” from its supporters, as its representatives continue to urge for a deregulation of NGOs.

“It’s not only NGOs, but also any organization that will be at risk, especially their right to free expression and the right to free association” if the decree regulating NGOs remains intact, said Almeida.

Her position echoes those taken up by opposition politicians, whose one commonality is their depiction of Correa’s government as one systematically trouncing on citizens’ rights and freedoms.

In an election year, rhetoric makes the difference.

(TeleSur)

According to the report “Environmental Outlook: Cuba 2015”, published by the National Office of Statistics and Information (www.onei.cu), in 2010 the forest area of the archipelago was 27.6%.

Once again, the province of Pinar del Río has seen the greatest reforestation, with 47% of its total area covered by trees, followed by Guantánamo with 46.7%, Matanzas with 39.1%, Holguín with 38.3%, Santiago de Cuba with 33% and Granma with 26.7%.

Meanwhile, the Isle of Youth Special Municipality has a significant 65.2% of its total area covered by trees, while in Las Tunas province forests cover just 19% of the local area.

(Granma)

In the case of Cuba, the influence of this complex weather phenomenon, which affects sea temperature and air pressure, saw record temperatures in 2015, the warmest year since 1951. In addition, the dry season (November 2015-April 2016) saw above average rainfall, totalling 414.7mm nationally, representing 124% of the historic average.

It is worth mentioning that the larger extent of this accumulated precipitation fell in the period from November, 2015 – January, 2016, as February and March saw rainfall below expectations. Fortunately, these latter two months did not see severe thunderstorms or significant coastal flooding, common effects of a strong ENSO cycle.

As reflected in the Bulletin of Climate Surveillance for June, published by the Climate Center of the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, most forecasts now suggest the beginning of the La Niña event (the cool phase of the ENSO cycle) from September.

As noted previously, the presence of the La Niña phenomenon tends to result in increased cyclone activity in the tropical Atlantic basin. This is particularly possible in the months of August – October.

(Granma)

Work done on the implementation of policy guidelines since the 6th Party Congress in 2011 was discussed by deputies, with a focus on updates emerging from the practical experience gained and related debates.

In the National Defense commission, José Antonio Carrillo Gómez, deputy from Nueva Paz in Mayabeque, noted that this discussion has been ongoing across the country since 2011, and that the population’s opinions are being considered.

Karen Alvarado from the municipality of Yateras in Guantánamo, participating in the Food and Agriculture commission, emphasized the importance of avoiding delays in the preparation of the legal framework needed to implement the Guidelines, to ensure that progress in the development of laws and regulations keeps pace with National Assembly discussions on policies.

Deputies focused on Industry, Construction and Energy, agreed, specifically referring to non-agricultural cooperatives. José Quintana, from Camagüey, commented that although progress has been made, regulatory issues and procedures for the acquisition of supplies have not yet been defined.

“There has been talk of an Enterprise Law and a Cooperatives Law, but they have yet to be concretized and disseminated. These bodies of law are indispensable to resolving a series of problems, about which there is little clarity,” said José Cabrera, from Minas de Ma­tahambre, in Pinar del Río.

On the other hand, Estrella Herrera, deputy from Camagüey, addressed guidelines related to investment and construction projects, stating, “We must consider the possibilities for training Cuban construction workers to ensure quality and speed, as well as taking advantage of builders among the self-employed and in cooperatives.”

Agreeing with her was Pedro Astraín, from the municipality of Mayarí, who added that the country’s policy should be to import only what is impossible to produce in Cuba, and contract foreign consultants to train our workforce.

He emphasized that a radical turn-around is needed in the situation surrounding construction projects and related research in the country, to increase capacity in this area, the technology and technique taught in universities, saying, “The economics of construction begin with the project and research.”

Several comments in the Services commission focused on the need to continue improving internal bookkeeping in state enterprises, in addition to pertinent training for those who are engaged in establishing new forms of economic management, to ensure better supervision of production and financial outcomes.

Additional emphasis was placed on problems with incomplete staffing and the placement of recent graduates, which must be solved since the performance of human beings and a qualified workforce are just as important as material resources, the legislator said.

Deputy Tomasa Mo­lina Bernal, from Villa Clara, reported that there are currently municipalities in her province where last year’s budget close-out reports have not been completed, because they simply don’t have the personnel to do them. Recovering a sense of responsibility, of hard work, as part of a change in mentalities, comes first, she said, emphasizing that deputies must serve as examples in their workplaces, as is expressed in Guideline no.11.

Along these same lines, Yaquelin Puebla, from the municipality of Bartolomé Maso, in Granma, noted that the economic battle is at the center of political work, and leaders must focus on knowledge, so that, with the participation of all, enterprises and cooperatives are solvent and generate earnings.

Referring to Guideline no.15, Deputy Pedro Víctor Simón Rodríguez, also in the Services commission, added that capacity building is a key issue, that regular training is needed, about what is being established legally in the country, not only for enterprise managers, but for delegates and Party leaders as well, so they can do a better job supervising.

Regarding autonomy and the ability of municipalities to assume decentralized management responsibilities – addressed in Guideline no.17 – Arelis Virgen Maceo, from Habana del Este, noted that it is at the local level where the problems are, and this is where public policies based on objective realities can be formulated, and the population involved as part of the solution.

A MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION

The concentration of wealth engendered a number of reflections in the Education, Culture, Science, Technology, and Environment commission.

Deputies agreed that this phenomenon is a reality, and Alpidio Alonso, from the Havana municipality of Plaza de la Revolución questioned whether the country is ready to regulate its development, when previous experience has shown, “We have not been able to apply mechanisms of control,” and, “We cannot accept this in the model of socialism we are proposing.”

Miguel Limia, from Cam­pe­chue­la, in Granma, insisted, “The fact that we recognize the ability of private property to manage resources in an efficient manner in certain areas of society, implies the need to avoid it becoming the organizer of life in society, leading toward polarization, toward the restoration of capitalism.”

He noted that the conceptualization of Cuba’s socialist model defines social property as the base of the country’s socio-economic life and development, requiring growth and the accumulation of capital for investment, but also implies regulation with measures adopted to limit the concentration of wealth and property to levels which do not undermine basic social equality or legitimate differentiation within society.

Yury Valdés, from the Havana municipality of La Lisa, commented that the development of this phenomenon puts socialism at risk, “And we do not have the right to realize, 10 years from now, that we made a mistake.” He stated that clearly the concentration of wealth and property is happening today, and that what is most difficult, beyond theoretical concepts, is how to find a practical solution. Regarding the role of the National Assembly, he insisted that the body must follow-up on the impact of measures adopted, saying, “We need to go and see where these manifestations are occurring.”

In regards to policies on science, technology, and the environment, Deputy Mirta Millán, from the Isle of Youth Special Municipality, proposed adding to Guideline no.102 the importance of not only sustaining and developing science, as the document states, but also disseminating this knowledge, given the economic and social impact it can have.

Eulogio Pimentel, from Nuevitas in Ca­ma­güey, suggested adding a guideline on high tech enterprises, or adding this specific category in appendix 112, referring to the promotion of dynamic structures, given that technology is critical to scientific research and innovation in many countries.

He said that such enterprises could generate industrial property and greater earnings, and benefit from tax and financing incentives which favor the use of technology in production. They can promote the application of scientific research in the Cuban economy, he said.

Zuleica Romay, president of the Cuban Book Institute, expressed concern regarding guidelines on employment and salaries, and the absence of a specific item on protecting workers in the private sector, given that, in a few cases, super-exploitation has been revealed.

Other deputies expressed similar opinions on the issue, and emphasized its importance regardless of the formulation used in the Guidelines, calling for practical solutions and a culture of attention to workers in this sector.

Consensus and support are perhaps the best words to summarize what was happening in the Convention Center’s various meeting rooms, where the issues were discussed. This was the case largely because of the extensive process of consultation held in provinces before and after the recent Party Congress, which included members of People’s Power assemblies, either as delegates or invited guests.

Bernardo Díaz Bello, president of the Food and Agriculture commission noted that the richness of debate within this group of deputies produced timely proposals and observations on the Guidelines, and reflected the vast fund of deep, well-founded knowledge regarding the most pressing priorities in agriculture.

(Granma)