Discipline, organization, and massive, active participation by the population characterized the assemblies held in all constituencies, with the attendance of

6,746,867 electors, representing 78.35 % of eligible voters.

Made were 60,870 proposals, leading to the nomination of 27,221 candidates. Of these, 9,637 are women, representing 35.40% of the total, and 5,307 youth, or 19.49 %. The provinces where the largest number of women were nominated are La Habana, Artemisa, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth Special Municipality. Those where the greatest number of youth were nominated are Cienfuegos, Guantánamo and Ciego de Ávila.

Among current delegates, 8,331, or 66.44% were nominated for another term, with the highest percentages in Holguín (73.41%), Santiago de Cuba (72.45%), and the Isle of Youth Special Municipality (72.29 %).

Beginning October 19, and continuing through November 9, lists of electors are posted in all constituencies, and work is underway to verify and update them.

Photos and biographies of those nominated are posted beginning the first of the current month, so that voters have the necessary information to elect the candidate of their preference as delegate, this coming November 26.

From the first through November 17, electors selected to serve on voting station boards, as well as all other electoral bodies, will prepare to direct the voting process in constituencies.

National Electoral Commission

November 2, 2017

Rodríguez met with U.S. legislators this Friday at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where he reiterated that Cuba bears no responsibility for the alleged incidents which have affected the health of U.S. diplomatic personnel and their families in Havana.

He emphasized that there is no evidence proving that an attack or deliberate act took place against U.S. diplomatic staff in Cuba.

Cuba’s Foreign Minister reiterated the island’s willingness to continue cooperating with the U.S. to uncover the truth, and urged the government to stop politicizing the issue, according to Cubaminrex.

Meanwhile, members of Congress present during the encounter expressed their willingness to continue working to improve and strengthen bilateral relations with Cuba and clear up the situation, noted the report.

They likewise reaffirmed the importance of dialogue and cooperation between the two nations to resolve the case.

Also participating on the Cuban side were Josefina Vidal, director general for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba; Bárbara Elena Montalvo, head of the Ministry Secretariat; and José Ramón Cabañas, Cuban ambassador to the U.S.

Speaking during a press conference at the end of the delegation’s three-day visit, Leahy added that the U.S. business, scientific, and educational sectors are interested in exchanges with Cuba.

Leahy has been actively working to build bridges between Havana and Washington, and expressed confidence that the Trump administration will listen to the voices of the many people who support the ongoing process of rapprochement.

He went on to state that, in his opinion, the lifting of the blockade is inevitable.

In this regard, the current administration has reported that the Cuba policy is under review.

The delegation from the United States Congress was led by Leahy and Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi), and included Senators Thomas Udall (D-New Mexico) and Michael Bennett (D-Colorado), and Representatives James McGovern and Seth Moulton, Democrats from Massachusetts.

Senator Udall, speaking about potential Congressional action regarding Cuba, did not rule out the possibility of seeing some of the proposals featured in the big packages of legislative bills, such Omnibus spending bills, becoming law.

However, despite the December 17, 2014 announcements and then U.S. President Barack Obama’s call to Congress to work to lift the blockade, no concrete action has been taken.

Certain aspects of the blockade have been modified, but the bulk of this aggressive U.S. policy against Cuba remains in force, and only Congress has the authority to definitively lift it.

Various bills regarding key aspects of the blockade – such as removing restrictions on trade with the country, and ending the ban on U.S. citizens traveling to Cuba for tourist purposes – are currently making their way through Congress.

Senator McGovern noted that many of these issues are of interest to both parties, explaining that he himself is co-sponsoring a bill in the House of Representatives, with Republican Senator Jeff Flake, regarding travel to Cuba.

For his part Leahy highlighted the growing support from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, for a thawing in relations with a country located just 90 miles from the U.S. coast.
During the press conference, the legislators also spoke about their official meeting with Army General Raúl Castro, on February 21.

They noted that Cuba has been clear its position toward the United States, citing remarks made by Army General Raúl Castro in his speech before the Fifth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, held in the Dominican Republic, January 25, 2017.

“I wish to express Cuba’s willingness to continue negotiating pending bilateral issues with the United States, on the basis of equality, reciprocity and respect for the sovereignty and independence of our country, and to continue the respectful dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest with the new government of President Donald Trump,” stated Raúl at that time.

(Granma)