Extensive damages amounting to millions of U.S. dollars and complex payment procedures are some of the obstacles facing Cuban sports due to the criminal U.S. blockade of the island.
For example, as a result of this unjust policy, foreign clubs that hired Cuban trainers currently owe USD 6,375,000 that obstacles posed to official bank offices prevent them from paying and the company Cubadeportes S.A. has been unable to make arrangement with the island’s Banco Financiero Internacional S.A. to collect more than USD 47 million for technical and professional services rendered in foreign countries.
“This genocidal U.S. Cuba policy also makes it much more difficult for us to pay membership fees to international sport federations and organizations and imposes restrictions on the use of platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Team, which hinders and often prevents altogether our participation in online sports-related events and meetings,” said Osvaldo Vento Montiller, president of the Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER).
In general terms, between March 2023 and February 2024, the U.S. blockade caused Cuba damages amounting to more than USD five billion which would otherwise be used to solve several of the problems facing the country, as highlighted in September by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla at a press conference to present Cuba’s report on the effects of the U.S. siege over the last year.