Cuba assumes challenges of computerization in a difficult context

Cuba assumes the challenges of the computerization of society and the digital transformation with political will and citizen participation, despite the impact of the US blockade and hostility, as stated today by the First Deputy Minister of Communications, Wilfredo González.

During the Forum of the World Summit on the Information Society (CMSI), which was in session until yesterday in Geneva, the island shared its experiences and challenges.

In dialogue with Prensa Latina, the Cuban senior official discussed details of the participation in the annual follow-up mechanism to the summit that promotes inclusive access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), an objective towards which he ratified the commitment of his country.

González explained that Cuba continues to make progress in various areas, including the development of telecommunications infrastructure, electronic Government and Commerce, the creation of the island’s own digital platforms and the training of human capital. Advances in digital transformation are accompanied by cybersecurity actions, under the premise of protecting public and personal data, he specified.

González insisted on the priority given in Cuba to the modern electronic government tool with more than 260 activated platforms or portals, based on the approach of going beyond the Internet presence of institutions to facilitate interaction with the people and participation citizen. Improving the quality of service, reducing procedures and interacting with the population are part of that vision, with a digital transformation aimed at improving people's lives and promoting economic development.

For the island's representative in the WSIS forum, it cannot be ignored that Cuba is working in this area in a context marked by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than six decades. He denounced that the siege of Washington represents the main obstacle to the development and use of ICTs, causing severe limitations in the telecommunications sector, an impact that can be illustrated with the impossibility of accessing dozens of international platforms involved in the flow and exchange of information.

He also recalled that the largest of the Antilles faces systematic attacks and destabilizing actions from cyberspace, which contradict the spirit of the World Summit on the Information Society. In the complex scenario, González reiterated that his country remains on course, with the political will and responses that include boosting the possibilities and capabilities of the national industry.