Culture can and should contribute to the Cuban economy: Diaz-Canel

Culture can and should contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the country and that is what its companies are for, said today the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel.

During the closing ceremony of the IX Congress of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists (Uneac), in the Convention Center of this capital, the Head of State assured he shares the concerns of those who feel that some cultural institutions are lagging the creators.

It is unacceptable that it is not understood that all cultural institutions exist by and for the creators and their work, not the other way around, he said.

According to the dignitary, bureaucratism and lack of professionalism choke creative work and in the fight against these windmills, as old as they are harmful, the Uneac plays a fundamental role and should be more proactive from its bases.

In addition, he stressed the importance of cultural criticism because, he said, the drought of serious and well-founded analysis of the real values ​​of works and cultural spaces discourage creators and deprives the public, particularly the youngest, of guiding criteria that establish artistic hierarchies in time.

Why can't Cuba insert, disseminate, export the work of those who work within the country and instead we promote and replicate what the market already coined and returns to us wrapped up in its rules?, Diaz-Canel questioned.

What do our institutions need to make our most authentic cultural creations flourish? He added.

At the same time, the statesman pointed out that as artists themselves have the obligation to pay their taxes, they should not have to pay companies if they have had nothing to do with labor contracts, nor with their promotion and legal protection.

Amidst a sea of ​​applause, the Cuban president criticized that form of parasitism that favors corruption and reduces opportunities for creators and their works.

Díaz-Canel defended the social commitment of culture, against vanity, selfishness and privatization attempts that predominate in some countries.

He also praised respect for the symbols and sacred values of the Homeland, as well as the artists who defend them inside Cuba.

Building and defending a socialist project means defending revolutionary humanism, he testified.

Also, the president commented on the intention of holding monthly meetings with the elected board of the Uneac, groups of creators and the ministries, to review everything that can collaborate and tear away each time the problems and difficulties.

The Head of State acknowledged the intense work of the ethnologist, poet and novelist Miguel Barnet, who spent more than a decade at the helm of Uneac and from now on became its honorary president, by unanimous approval of the Congress.

As he pointed out, the new presidency led by the radio and television director Luis Morlote has the relevant mission to unleash an irreconcilable battle against ignorance and indecency.

Culture can and should contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the country and that is what its companies are for, said today the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel.

During the closing ceremony of the IX Congress of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists (Uneac), in the Convention Center of this capital, the Head of State assured he shares the concerns of those who feel that some cultural institutions are lagging the creators.

It is unacceptable that it is not understood that all cultural institutions exist by and for the creators and their work, not the other way around, he said.

According to the dignitary, bureaucratism and lack of professionalism choke creative work and in the fight against these windmills, as old as they are harmful, the Uneac plays a fundamental role and should be more proactive from its bases.

In addition, he stressed the importance of cultural criticism because, he said, the drought of serious and well-founded analysis of the real values ​​of works and cultural spaces discourage creators and deprives the public, particularly the youngest, of guiding criteria that establish artistic hierarchies in time.

Why can't Cuba insert, disseminate, export the work of those who work within the country and instead we promote and replicate what the market already coined and returns to us wrapped up in its rules?, Diaz-Canel questioned.

What do our institutions need to make our most authentic cultural creations flourish? He added.

At the same time, the statesman pointed out that as artists themselves have the obligation to pay their taxes, they should not have to pay companies if they have had nothing to do with labor contracts, nor with their promotion and legal protection.

Amidst a sea of ​​applause, the Cuban president criticized that form of parasitism that favors corruption and reduces opportunities for creators and their works.

Díaz-Canel defended the social commitment of culture, against vanity, selfishness and privatization attempts that predominate in some countries.

He also praised respect for the symbols and sacred values of the Homeland, as well as the artists who defend them inside Cuba.

Building and defending a socialist project means defending revolutionary humanism, he testified.

Also, the president commented on the intention of holding monthly meetings with the elected board of the Uneac, groups of creators and the ministries, to review everything that can collaborate and tear away each time the problems and difficulties.

The Head of State acknowledged the intense work of the ethnologist, poet and novelist Miguel Barnet, who spent more than a decade at the helm of Uneac and from now on became its honorary president, by unanimous approval of the Congress.

As he pointed out, the new presidency led by the radio and television director Luis Morlote has the relevant mission to unleash an irreconcilable battle against ignorance and indecency.