The unfair economic, commercial, and financial blockade that the U.S. government has kept against Cuba for 60 years, affects directly the Cuban Telecommunications Company (ETECSA).

“We are buyers of technology that we setup in the country, and on many occasions the company must search for markets which are much more distant and expensive, due to the transportation problems.

We can’t buy technology from the United States. They must necessarily have less than ten percent of components from North American companies”.

Statements by Miguel Ángel Granado Rodríguez, Head of the Department of Development and Operations at the Territorial Division of ETECSA, in Cienfuegos, in the center-south of Cuba.

“When it comes to buying technology, it’s a restriction, but we are also often prevented from accessing some platforms, even support materials, and then we are forced to take other alternatives, much more expensive for the country.

If we could have straight access to the North American market, or at least to North American companies, which are based in other countries, the situation would be very different! "

The service that the population should receive is affected.

"On many occasions, using third countries for communication that could otherwise be direct with other operators also makes the process very expensive," says Granado, who suffers daily the effects of the criminal blockade.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff