By Kathryn Fairfax
SYDNEY — More than 50 people gathered to hear Patricia Pego Guerra, a visiting representative of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples and the Union of Young Communists, speak about life in Cuba after 40 years of revolution.
Guerra was welcomed by Rebecca Pinkstone from the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, which organised the tour, and introduced by Sean Chaffer from the Maritime Union of Australia.
Guerra explained that Cuba experienced economic decline in the early 1990s due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, its major trading partner, as well as the stiffening of the economic blockade imposed by the United States. Cuba has spent the last few years trying to stimulate its economy while still maintaining its social revolution.
It has done this in four ways: encouraging foreign interests with the capital, knowledge and markets which were lost with the Soviet Union to enter Cuba; diversifying its trading links to include Latin America and the Caribbean; re-negotiating its debt repayments (the US blockade means Cuba is refused normal international loans and must rely on short-term, high-interest loans); and reducing inflation.
Guerra said Cuba is also promoting tourism, allowing the use of US dollars, encouraging state farms to become workers' co-operatives, encouraging the opening of small businesses which pay taxes to the state, and reopening the family food markets.
These measures, she said, have had positive results and the Cuban economy has grown more than 10% since the worst year, 1993. It has also shown the Cuban people that they can repair the economy themselves and that they do not need to rely on other countries.
Cuba could have approached the World Bank and the IMF for help, but that would have meant introducing neo-liberal measures, Guerra explained. The economy has been reformed, but not at the expense of free health care, free education and full employment.
Guerra commented on the emotional commemoration last year of Che Guevara's death in 1967 and the return of his and his comrades' remains to Cuba. She also spoke about the January visit of the pope and the success of that visit. The pope's statements against the US blockade during his visit encouraged some countries, such as Guatemala, to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.