Havana Condemns US Selective Approach in Helping Cuban People

Havana is against the current Washington's approach consisting in providing help to the Cuban people selectively, Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmierca told reporters on Sunday a few hours before the beginning of the historic visit by the US President.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Malmierca explained that the measures announced by the US administration have a "discriminatory bias towards the public sector."

"In principal, we have nothing against he [US President Barack Obama] helping the Cuban people, if that’s what he wants to do, but the problem is that it cannot be selective," Malmierca said.

"We feel that the people is only one, and regretfully some of the actions or measurements that have been announced by the Obama Administration after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations have certain bias, and are aimed at promoting certain activities, are benefitting certain sectors of our society," he noted.

The minister underscored that Havana was against such selectivity.

"We feel that the Cuban economy, and the public sector companies comparative to non-state companies can all be part of the effort to develop these relations. We don’t feel that privileging this wide range of economic actors would be the best way of doing it," Malmierca said.

In September, the departments of the Treasury and Commerce announced new measures that allowed US commercial interests to establish a physical presence in Cuba.

The Treasury allowed US companies to open offices, warehouses, retail outlets, new bureaus and other establishments for authorized activities.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Lee stated in December that the US government was encouraging American businesses to visit Cuba to explore opportunities on the island.

Although relations between the countries have warmed, the United States continues to maintain a trade embargo on Cuba mandated by Congress.