- Long live free Cuba! Free from foreign interference and free from the hatred incited by those who for 60 years have attempted to asphyxiate the nation and provoke a social explosion, and now presenting themselves as our saviors,” Díaz-Canel stated, during the massive event on the city’s waterfront, insisting, “Cuba is totally allergic to hate and will never be a land of hate!”
- He noted that, over the weeks prior to the disturbances, an intense political-communication operation was mounted by articulated platform of media poison, financed by the U.S. government and by the state of Florida’s political machinery. Its objective was to encourage unrest and instability in the country, taking advantage of the difficult conditions caused by the pandemic, the tightened blockade and the Trump administration’s 243 additional measures.
- “We are under fire from sophisticated cyberwarfare that includes cyber-terrorism and media terrorism in its aggressive toolkit,” he said.
- “It is not uncommon that, under such a media barrage, some doubt and make statements assuming division that does not exist,” he added. “I do not judge, I do not condemn. I understand that the adversary’s weapons are overwhelming, but on the side of the people, with the people and for the people, the Revolution continues to stand!
-Let us put our hearts into our common work. A heart as big as of our difficulties! Together we can!” he exclaimed.

(Taken fron Granma)

On his official Twitter account, the president recalled a phrase from National Hero Jose Marti: ‘Men go on two sides: those who love and found, and those who hate and undo,’ and assured that Cuba ‘will continue founding.’

In another tweet, Diaz-Canel pointed out that when the people have come so far in the realization of their dreams, they cannot be stopped by violence or hatred.

‘Next to the people, with the people and for the people, the Revolution continues. Not with statements, but with facts!’ he wrote, and accompanied his message with the hashtag #PonleCorazón.

The day before, thousands of people took to the streets in Havana and other provinces to reaffirm their rejection of the attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of the Caribbean island and condemn the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, considered the main obstacle to Cuba’s development.

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

The CDR’s national coordinator, Gerardo Hernández, told national media outlets the decoration of houses and streets, and the presentation of medals, distinctions, and awards, will follow the measures to control the spread of the Covid-19.

According to Hernandez, this year, plaques and stickers have been placed in the homes of internationalist doctors who are combating the disease abroad, of participants in the 60th edition of the National Baseball Series, and outstanding families in urban agriculture.

(Taken of Radio Habana Cuba)

Our medical brigades leave a trail of love wherever they go, where healing is hard and most necessary, where others do not wish to dirty their hands.

They have the simple honor of being the only doctors and nurses many of the unfortunate “nobodies” have ever seen, offering the miracle of survival. And they have the blessed vocation of looking into the eyes of the sick, of knowing how to listen to them even in another language, of touching them where it hurts, of surprising them with their warm treatment, of restoring hope when it was lost.

These lines are motivated by the arrival of those who left for Lombardy at a time when the pandemic had only recently reached our country, and Cuba looked on in amazement at the desolate media images of Italy and Spain.

Accustomed as we are to Cuba arriving where health care is urgently needed, it did not take us by surprise that when Italy called, in dire need of personnel to fight the virus, the Henry Reeve Brigade responded.

Beyond the figures representing the Cuban brigade’s contribution in northern Italy – some 5,500 medical consultations, 3,668 nursing services and 210 discharges from 36 doctors, 15 nurses and a logistics specialist – they leave their love that neither the people who were helped, or the world, will ever forget, even as imperialism insists on its efforts to discredit our heroes.

Throughout the planet, more than 30 brigades, with more than 2,500 health professionals, are fighting the pandemic. Those who return to their homeland today bring home intense experiences of risking their lives, when nothing was more important than saving others.

Voices are being raised around the world, proposing that the Henry Reeve Contingent be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The outcome remains to be seen, but there is another prize that cannot be ignored; the reward that distinguishes them for offering the greatest thing their country has: our humanism.

The embrace of their people awaits them.

Beginning this year we must begin to reach several milestones in the construction of housing, President Diaz-Canel said, upon summarizing a meeting to analyze the work of the Ministry of Construction (Micons) in 2018 and its short-term projections.

The President highlighted that the construction sector is of great importance, given its relationship to the progress of all economic and social programs; and called for greater quality and efficiency in the investment process.

Regarding shortages of middle management personnel, a topic debated at the meeting, the President called for attention to the advantages of shorter university level study programs, through which the sector could develop a qualified workforce in less time, in addition to working with polytech high schools.Given reports of violations of consumption norms for fuel and materials, Díaz-Canel expressed the concern that this opens the door to theft and other illegalities, behaviors that must be resolutely confronted, he said.The condition of roads across the country was described as worrisome, and must be addressed with the same urgency and methods as housing construction.FOREIGN MINISTRY ANALYZES ITS WORK IN 2018The President of the Councils of State and of Ministers also participated in an expanded board of directors meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Amongst us all, he said, we must defend the legacy of Comandate en Jefe Fidel Castro in foreign affairs.The Cuban Revolution’s foreign policy remains the same and will be, we must all contribute to that, he said.In evaluating central aspects of the country’s foreign policy in 2018, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the many challenges facing the Ministry.It was emphasized that in the past year Cuba continued a “foreign policy of peace, cooperation, and solidarity, in defense of international law, sustainable development, and the promotion of more just economic relations for developing countries.”Bilateral relations with the United States were described as challenging by several participants in the discussion.At the regional level, Cuba’s solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and our commitment to the unity of progressive forces and social movements in Latin America and the Caribbean were emphasized.

(Granma)

Upon summarizing the day, Díaz-Canel reiterated that the meeting’s objective was to strengthen working relations between the central government and local levels, as part of a plan that includes regular visits by central authorities to the provinces.

He emphasized that conditions must be created for more efficient public administration, which implies not only the availability of material resources, but also adequate work styles and organization; a cadre policy that promotes sensitivity and revolutionary concern, without bureaucratism, with collective spirit, and close ties with the grassroots.

“Amongst us all, we must develop a government that works for the people,” he reiterated.

Cadres who are not sensitive, do not take action, are bothered when people come to them with problems, the President said, calling for fewer obstacles and less bureaucracy, for continuing to prioritize attention to the population.

We must seek government action that is more transparent for the population, so they know what we’re doing, what the priorities are, what is directed toward development, or toward meeting their needs. This guarantees the people’s participation in decision making, he added.

In his comments, the President also emphasized aspects of the international situation, with a neoliberal, colonizing offensive underway, media manipulation, the proliferation of fake news, increasing confrontation, and U.S. persecution of the region’s nations, among them Cuba, now facing the potential implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.

Given this environment, the focus remains on the three priorities for government efforts expressed several months ago by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, who placed preparation for defense and the economy at this level.

The other priority was the constitutional referendum, which was conducted and led to a victory, a reaffirmation of commitment to the Revolution by a majority of Cubans, the President noted, indicating that the economic battle continues to be the fundamental task at hand, the most complex, and that in which the people place the most hopes. To rise to the occasion, structures and management must be reinforced and support sought from the economic sciences.

MUNICIPAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Minister of Agriculture Gustavo Rodríguez Rollero presented an update on the municipal self-sufficiency program, generating a number of remarks on the issue, described as key to the country’s food security and sovereignty. The goal of producing 30 pounds of produce per inhabitant and five kilograms of animal protein, every month, has seen different levels of development, and is in need of greater yields and the diversification of crops.

Ricardo Cabrisas, a Council of Ministers vice president, pointed out that the substitution of imports with domestic products is also decisive, since Cuba annually devotes some 1.8 billion dollars to buy food on the international market, 30% of which is for animal feed.

Also raised during the discussion were intentionally trying out-of-season plantings; considering traditional crops; focusing on the needs of each province; specialization of cooperatives and individual producers; with particular attention to contracting, an issue emphasized by First Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa.

Additionally reported during the meeting were results of large scale studies on high-protein plants begun by Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, which include research, development, innovation, production, and distribution of high impact products for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, and others that could become sources of income.

In this regard, Díaz-Canel referred to the need to promote this program, first, in honor of Fidel, who dedicated the last years of his life to demonstrate the viability, under our conditions, of these crops and productions, which are linked to various activities and sectors.

An exhaustive explanation of how to achieve adequate budget execution at the local level was presented by Meisi Bolaños, minister of Finances and Prices, who insisted on tighter control of financial resources; the importance of complying with tax law; and proper management, to eliminate deficits in revenues, which have been gradually reduced, but still affect 19 municipalities in four provinces.

She specified that, within local budgets, we must give better use to territorial tax collections, given what these funds mean to development at that level, not only in production and services, but also in the generation of jobs and their sustainability.When dealing with the subject of outstanding accounts receivable and payable, she emphasized the urgent need to transform the current situation in the chain of defaults, synonymous with lack of control and disorganization.

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

Several ongoing projects regarding electronic commerce, and others being planned, were reported by Minister of Domestic Commerce Betsy Díaz, who said that the main objective is to facilitate service and reduce the handling of cash in transactions, by both legal persons and individuals.Regarding the use of point-of-sale (POS) terminals (debit card readers), she spoke of the short-term extension of this modality in outlets selling construction materials, and in the retail network, with priority in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.Irma Martínez Castellón, minister-president of the Central Bank of Cuba, said that the functioning of POS must be demanded at sales points.Alejandro Gil, Minister of Economy and Planning, referred to local development programs, since, he said, given the current economic situation, solutions must be found as close as possible to the site of a problem.As of the end of December, 290 local development projects were underway across the country, mainly in commerce and gastronomy, the food industry, culture, local industry, tourism, and community services.Practically giving a methodological class on management of these types of projects, he stressed that those which have financing will always be immediately approved, calling on local authorities not to request resources from the national level and seek ways to self-finance.As has been emphasized on other occasions, he said local governments must involve universities and research centers in the conception and implementation of local development programs, a valid course of action for all activities that promote economic and social progress in the country, according to those in attendance.

(Granma)

Broadly speaking, it is the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to provide services and information to citizens, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of public administration, and boost citizen participation.

The country’s leadership is promoting and strictly following this process. President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, has offered directives on the subject on multiple occasions, one of the most recent being the 2018 report on the work of the Ministry of Communications, where he commented that to achieve the real computerization of society, that includes all aspects of life, more attention must be paid to the development of such processes.

Referring to the example of electronic government, Díaz-Canel stated: “We cannot settle for the existence of websites and platforms alone; all agencies and institutions must computerize their processes, both those related to their own work, and those directed toward the population.”

The main impact is on necessary procedures to meet the needs of the people, added the President. We cannot focus solely on state entities attached to the Ministry, he stressed, but its scope as a governing body, providing support to develop processes and solve problems in this field to any agency.

In accordance with this strategic policy, February 24, the official website of the Presidency of Cuba was launched, where contents related to the Cuban government will be published at: https://www.presidencia.gob.cu/es/

This platform will allow citizens to view the latest updates on Councils of State and Ministers meetings, as well as tweets from leading authorities.

First Deputy Minister of Communications, Wilfredo González Vidal, explained that, “We are in a moment of fulfillment of the first stage of electronic government in Cuba, that of presence.”

This process covers four stages: Presence, Interaction, Transaction and Transformation; each with easily identifiable elements that mark the goals and progress of government management using ICT, Ministry of Communications officials explained.

Today, all agencies, Central State Administration Bodies (OACE), and territorial governments (at the provincial level and the Isle of Youth Special Municipality), have an institutional web portal.

However, complex elements concerning both form and content have arisen in the implementation of this policy, and work is ongoing to ensure that by the end of the first quarter of 2019, this stage is declared complete.

In the second stage, communication and exchange mechanisms with users will be implemented, increasing the level of interaction, with the aim of facilitating procedures.

The transaction stage will guarantee online procedures and services, as well as the users’ simultaneous interaction with the government. Some of the key points of this stage are the possibility of users’ customization of portals, providing direct benefits such as personalization and notifications; sending information to registered users via email, text messages and electronic bulletins; the online submission of necessary forms for the services and procedures that each agency or entity offers, among others.

The fourth and final stage should lead to a change in the thought and actions of citizens and organizations, with government interaction through ICT raised to a higher level.

It is important to mention that achieving the first stage and then advancing through the other three represents a challenge not only in terms of infrastructure and ICT platforms, but also in terms of optimizing the internal management of state entities and the logistics to ensure compliance with that administration, specialists noted.

TERRITORIAL PROJECTS

The Computer Applications Company (DESOFT) has drawn up a work strategy that allows each provincial government to have a web portal to inform and interact with citizens, Elena Real Castro, company director in Pinar del Río, explained to Granma.

“This territory was at the forefront in this area, and it was decided to share the experience, since all provinces are part of the same government structure, in order to achieve standardization of the concept and work system,” she added.

In fact, the web portal of the Provincial Assembly of Pinar del Río, the Citizens’ Portal, was selected as a Champion Project by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), and is up for one of its 2019 prizes.

The website was among the five most voted for projects in the category “The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of ICTs for development.”

The Granma Division of DESOFT contributed the Delegate Management System to this great project, an application put into operation several years ago in that provincial government, which is now incorporated into all provincial portals.

More than 30 enterprises subordinated to Provincial Administration Councils have a presence in each of these public portals, informing, guiding, facilitating procedures and services, and encouraging citizen participation.

Elena Real Castro emphasized that the Delegate Management System is a package of four modules that facilitate the recording and control of all possible proposals, complaints and requests made by citizens, allowing for ongoing monitoring of issues by all authorities involved.

“Both the System and the provincial portals are connected to each other, and the integration of both solutions offers the possibility of obtaining information regarding the proposals made to delegates in their accountability and consultation processes. This encourages a closer government relationship with citizens and greater transparency in their administration,” she explained.

Three key players work to ensure the success of this project, the Pinar del Río director noted. Firstly, the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA) guarantees completely independent technological infrastructure, with security, availability, protection and backup of all the information that is handled.

Based on this technological infrastructure, DESOFT, using the virtual environment provided by ETECSA, provides governments with a technological platform, using a series of principles that offers the software as services, such that the use of these applications is characterized by the low-cost investments required, easy access, transparency, reliability, availability, interactivity, scalability, personalization, security and publicity, as Elena Real Castro explained.

As a third actor, and the main promoter of the project, the provincial government and its entities participate in order to incorporate citizens at the center of the transformations underway, making this environment increasingly inclusive. The provincial government is also responsible for ensuring the updating of the portal contents, and fostering a closer relationship with citizens and greater transparency in its administration.

A PROCESS FROM THE BOTTOM UP

Cuba’s Union of Computer Scientists (UIC) also plays a key role in the development of electronic government in Cuba. Given its cross-cutting nature, this organization that brings together computer and electronic specialists and those of other related specialties, has the opportunity to contribute “from the bottom up,” as its Vice President, Tatiana Delgado, noted.

This means, she added, supporting the training of local governments to understand the use and role of ICT in bringing them closer to citizens.

On the other hand, methodologies are shared to ensure a feasible process through the platforms and, above all, the services that can be generated to improve citizens’ quality of life. This process is also supported by evaluation tools and indicator systems, since it is of great interest to the UIC to stimulate innovation at the local level.

The Vice President of the organization referred to the huge role young computer sciences graduates can play in this process, by taking advantage of and putting into practice the knowledge acquired during their studies at different educational centers.

All these activities, Tatiana Delgado highlighted, are being carried out within an articulated platform for comprehensive territorial development, a framework project directed by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, of which the UIC is one of the associated national organizations.

“We have support from local governments and development groups, as well as from many entities. Together we act in accordance with this objective,” she explained.

GREATER WEB VISIBILITY

The “Cuban Website Monitor” is a computer platform that diagnoses the status of a group of variables and properties that must be taken into account in the development and administration of websites, to ensure better positioning in search engines, and thus greater content visibility, explained Ariagna González Landeiro, deputy director of Special Projects at the University of Computer Sciences (UCI).

Under this premise, the UCI has used the monitor in the implementation of the e-government presence stage, as a working tool that has provided systematic monitoring of Cuban websites.

“The results of the evaluations carried out on the websites have been shared at different times with the different territories, agencies and entities of the country,” González reported.

This tool has facilitated the grouping of Cuban digital spaces according to the province and the agencies to which they belong, fostering a specialized analysis in each case and as such, through exchanges, training, and advice on the use and positioning of websites, has helped identify a series of good practices adjusted to the characteristics of each entity, she added.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

There are still many challenges ahead this 2019. In the case of DESOFT, the company will continue working on the support, updating, maintenance, and technical stability of the e-government project, as well as the creation of municipal portals along the same lines as the provincial sites, maintaining the principles of scalability, interoperability, and security, among other requirements that were taken into account from the presence stage.

The integration of citizens’ portals into the Management System for the Electronic Programming Guide, E-progTv, developed for the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, within the framework of Digital Television projects, is a task that will allow the population to access updated television programming schedules, including those of local channels, explained Elena Real Castro.

Deputy Minister Wilfredo González Vidal noted that work is focused on three lines, to systematically evaluate the access level and use of these portals by the population, which must maintain updated information and digital services for citizens, by reviewing their visibility, quality, and availability.

In addition, entities must organize user assistance processes, and respond to the population through the new digital communication means fostered by these portals, for which measures must be established that promote appropriate use.

Likewise, a work system must be organized or articulated with the main actors of the entity or territory in question, to keep citizens systematically informed of all of the government’s work, including the possibility of offering digital services. “That is, we must modernize public administration, offering services and encouraging the participation of citizens in these processes, as an exercise of transparency with the population,” the deputy minister stressed.

An example of the above is the new website of the Ministry of Justice at: https://www.minjus.gob.cu, which already offers online services related to criminal records, last will and testaments, and declarations of heirship.

“I believe that we have created the minimum conditions for the easiest stage, that of presence, but now it is necessary to continue working hard to computerize the internal and external processes of organizations, to give these government portals use value, and so that citizens feel the need and identify with these portals based on how up-to-date and useful the information and services they offer are,” concluded Wilfredo González Vidal.

TERRITORIAL WEBSITES

www.redpinar.gob.cu

www.redisla.gob.cu

www.artemisa.gob.

www.lahabana.gob.cu

www.mayaweb.gob.cu

www.matanceros.gob.cu

www.cienfuegos.gob.cu

www.soyvillaclara.gob.cu

www.espirituano.gob.cu

www.ciegodeavila.gob.cu

www.camaguey.gob.cu

www.lastunas.gob.cu

www.holguin.gob.cu

www.degranma.gob.cu

www.santiago.gob.cu

www.guantanamo.gob.cu

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TWITTER ACCOUNTS:

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez
@DiazCanelB
President

Salvador Valdés Mesa
@SalvadorValdesM
First Vice President

Ramiro Valdés Menéndez
@ValdesMenendez
Vice President

Inés María Chapman Waugh
@InesMChapman
Vice President

Ulises Rosales del Toro
@RosalesdelToro
Vice President

Roberto Morales Ojeda
@DrRobertoMOjeda
Vice President

Meisi Bolaños Weiss
@MeisiBWeiss
Minister of Finance and Prices

Alfredo López Valdés
@AlfredoLpezVald
Minister of Industry

Ena Elsa Velázquez Cobiella
@elsa_ena
Minister of Education

Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila
@EduardoR_Davila
Minister of Transport

Iris Quiñones Rojas
@irisqr700927
Minister of Food Industry

René Mesa Villafaña
@Rene_MesaMICONS
Minister of Construction

Irma Martínez Castrillón
@IrmaMartinezC
Minister-President of the Central Bank of Cuba

José Angel Portal Miranda
@japortalmiranda
Minister of Public Health

Oscar Silvera
@OscarCubaMinjus
Minister of Justice

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla
@BrunoRguezP
Foreign Minister

Manuel Marrero Cruz
@MMarreroCruz
Minister of Tourism

Gustavo Rodríguez Rollero
@GustavoRollero
Minister of Agriculture

Elba Rosa Pérez Montoya
@ElbaRosaPM
Minister of Science, Technology and Environment

Alfonso Noya Martínez
@alfonso_noya
President of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT)

Margarita Marilene González Fernández
@MargaritaMGlez
Minister of Labor and Social Security

Antonio Rodríguez Rodríguez
@AntonioRdguezR
President of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources

Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz
@R_Malmierca
Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment

Betsy Díaz Velázquez
@BetsyDazVelzqu1
Minister of Domestic Trade

Alejandro Gil Fernández
@AlejandroGilF
Minister of Economy and Planning

José Ramón Saborido Loidi
@jsaborido50
Minister of Higher Education

Raúl García Barreiro
@barreiro_raul
Minister of Energy and Mines

Jorge Luis Perdomo
@JorgeLuisPerd20
Minister of Communications

Alpidio Alonso Grau
@AlpidioAlonsoG
Minister of Culture

The Cuban Government is intent on advancing in the computerization of society, said Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Councils of State and Ministers, in an analysis of this issue during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Services.

He stated that this process is already a reality, moving forward steadily, despite a complex economic situation and an aggressive U.S. subversion campaign.”In the United States there is a Task Force focused on providing free internet to everyone, according to them. With what purpose? If they are the first to prevent us from acquiring necessary resources for infrastructure, if the main companies that have relations with Cuba are subjected to financial persecution and unilateral sanctions?”Internet is used to manage knowledge, to share ideas and perceptions that enrich. The main use we must give it now is as an emancipating platform, he emphasized.The President commended a project presented by the Ministry of Higher Education (MES) with the use of information and communication technologies in its system of attention to the population.That this comes from a state institution means respect for the population, he noted, it is also an exercise in democracy, of popular participation in decision-making, he continued, during a session of the Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Science, Technology, and the Environment.When the population expresses concerns, doubts, opinions, and these are taken into account, institutions are led to rethink and to project themselves differently, and to solve problems, he stated.Those of us who hold decision-making positions and are public servants must provide coherent and direct information to the population and together we must do what Fidel did alone, although all of us are Fidel, Díaz-Canel emphasized.

(Granma)

A broad program of training has taken place within the FAR, with commissions and work groups ensuring the transmission of information, according to

Colonel Luis Mario Rodríguez, member of the FAR organizing committee.

Minint, for its part, has a internal and public information plan being implemented, and is working with the Party, the Young Communists League, trade unions, and other organizations to mobilize personnel to participate, reported Colonel Armando Abreu Pis.

Videoconferences; training for consultation facilitators; timelines for meetings; gathering materials, and study of Council of State Secretary Homero Acosta’s presentation to the National Assembly of People’s Power are among the tasks underway within these institutions.

Minint Coronel Mario Méndez, head of the Identification, Immigration, and Foreign Residents Department, noted that this entity is responsible for updating voter registries, and is reinforcing staff in offices charged with this task.

(Granma)