Home > Cuban Parliament: 2006 Will Be Brighter
Governments South/Latin America
Havana, (Prensa Latina) The Cuban Parliament closed its last session of the year reaffirming the social, economic and political programs of the Revolution, slamming the new threats by the US government and painting a brighter future for 2006.
# Fidel Castro: Transition in US
The legislative discussions, led by the President of the Councils of State and Ministers Fidel Castro, assessed the Island’s economic indicators that showed an 11.8 percent growth, and passed the budget for the next fiscal year.
Before closing the session on Friday night, the Parliament agreed to name 2006 Year of the Energy Revolution.
The report on 2006 economic prospects envisaged a 10 percent growth of the Gross National Product, far over the projected one for the rest of Latin America.
The approved budget outlays amount to 33.30 billion pesos (same amount in US dollars at the official exchange), with 70 percent of them alloted to social programs guaranteeing the people’s wellbeing and protection for the neediest.
The fields of education, health, culture, art, science and technology, sports, and social security and work, will be granted over 14 billion dollars, thus assuring the consolidation social reforms put into place, as well as financial support for the 2005-approved wage increases.
Fidel Castro took the chance to slam the US administration of President George W. Bush for threatening to take new measures aimed at overthrowing the Cuban revolutionary process.
"We are stronger today, more invincible; we laugh at the US threats and are conscious of our power and the situation in Latin America," he stressed.
The Cuban leader similarly referred to the decadence of Washington’s world policy as corroborated by its defeats and failure in Bay of Pigs (Cuba), Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam, and Angola.
For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque stressed the US failed attempts to isolate Cuba, highlighting the almost universal rejection of the US blockade against Cuba. More 180 nations voted at the UN General Assembly to condemn that hostile policy and demanded it should be lifted.
mh/dig