Cuba's Parliament demands end to US embargo

Cuba's parliament, The National Assembly of People's Power, held a special hearing "Cuba in the face of two pandemics" on Friday demanding the lifting of the US embargo.

Parliamentarians and experts spoke for several hours on the wide-ranging effects the 60-plus years of the US embargo has had on the island nation and new hardships it is now experiencing because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Figures provided to the United Nations by the Cuban government estimated that annual losses due to Washington's sanctions between 2019 and 2020 alone reached $5.5 billion dollars (US).

The Gross Domestic Product of Cuba decreased by 11% in 2021.

The direct effect on Cuba's 11-million citizens is the shortage of food and medicines.

Cuba is also struggling to purchase syringes and other goods necessary for the COVID-19 vaccines they have developed locally.

During the meeting, held in Havana's restored Capital building, images of supporters from other countries asking for an end to the embargo were displayed on large screens.

Among those invitees was former US Representative James Moran, a Democrat from Virginia.