Cuban National Assembly Debates First Chapters of New Social Economic Policy

At the end of Thursday’s session, Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcón presented artwork by Gerardo Hernández and shared a message from Gerardo and signed by Antonio, Fernando, Ramón and René with the MPs and invited guests

During the second day of sessions of the Seventh Legislature of the Cuban National Assembly, members or parliament discussed proposals regarding the first five chapters of the draft document Guidelines on Social and Economic Policy of the Communist Party of Cuba and Revolution.

Thursday’s sessions were presided over by President Raúl Castro and analyzed the new social and economic policy up until Guideline 128. The Minister of Economy and Planning, Marino Murillo Jorge, along with other ministers, explained the overall concept of the document, starting with its antecedents then going over the central ideas contained in the first five chapters.

After the discussion on each section of guidelines, Murillo focused on the proposals put forth by MPs, followed by addresses from parliamentarians, which made it possible to cover every issue in a fruitful manner.

Today, the debate continues with a look at Chapters 6 through 12, which cover social policy; agricultural policy; industrial and energy policy; tourism policy; transport policy; construction, housing and water policy; and trade policy.

At the end of Thursday’s session, Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcón presented artwork by Gerardo Hernández and shared a message from Gerardo and signed by Antonio, Fernando, Ramón and René with the MPs and invited guests. Those presente gave a round of applause for the gesture and all the sacrifices made by the five Cubans who have spend more than 12 years in US prisons.

In a trial plagued with irregularities and held in a highly biased Miami court, the Cuban Five —Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and René González— were given harsh sentences ranging from 15 years to consecutive life terms plus 15 years.

The five Cubans were working to uncover information about terrorist activities being planned and carried out against Cuba by ultra-rightwing organizations based in southern Florida with a long record of terrorist actions against Cuba and the Cuban people. When they turned their information over to authorities they were arrested and have been in jail ever since.

A UN Working Group reviewing the case determined that the trial did not take place in a climate of objectivity and impartiality, which is required in order to conclude on the observance of the standards of a fair trial. The UN report also charges that the Cuban Five were wrongfully held for seventeen months in solitary confinement after their arrest, and that their lawyers were deprived of the opportunity to examine all of the available evidence before the government invoked the Classified Information Protection Act.
On Cuban television, the Roundtable will broadcast summaries of the debates of each session of the National Assembly at 6:00 p.m., which will be repeated at 9:20 p.m. on Cubavisión and Radio Rebelde.