Cuba’s communist regime is tightening its grip on citizens even as the island faces economic collapse, with political prisoners surviving on as little as 300 calories a day and widespread poverty driving many residents to flee the country, a parliamentary committee heard this week.Blacklock's Reporter says witnesses appearing before the House of Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights described a country plagued by food shortages, medicine shortages, power outages and ongoing political repression.Javier Larrondo, president of the human rights organization Prisoners Defenders, told MPs Cubans have little hope of challenging the regime.“Do Cubans have a real chance against this tyranny? None,” said Larrondo.He testified that prisoners are forced to work long hours producing goods for export, including cigars and charcoal.“Sixty thousand inmates produce charcoal sold in Canada and Europe as ‘eco-friendly,’” he said, adding prisoners often work 14-hour days, including weekends.Larrondo said many inmates are unable to receive food from family members, leaving them dependent on prison rations that have fallen to about 300 calories per day.Alejandro Gonzalez, executive director of the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, said Cubans continue to face arbitrary arrests, beatings, fines and restrictions on movement despite the country’s deepening economic crisis.He described conditions as an “unprecedented social catastrophe.”According to Gonzalez, 89% of Cuban families now live in extreme poverty.“Seven out of ten Cubans acknowledge going without food at some point due to shortages,” he said. “Among the elderly the situation is even more heartbreaking.”.The worsening conditions have fuelled a growing desire among Cubans to leave the country.“Entire generations no longer dream of building their country,” Gonzalez said. “They dream of escaping it.”Conservative MP Tamara Kronis asked witnesses about the most urgent humanitarian needs facing Cubans.“Right now the Cuban people have many, many needs for medication, for food,” Gonzalez replied.“The situation Cuba is in right now is extremely serious. There is no fuel, there is no electricity, there is no power. The country is not functioning.”He said transportation breakdowns have made it difficult to distribute food supplies that do arrive on the island.Canada’s federal government issued a travel advisory on Feb. 11 urging Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Cuba after fuel shortages forced airlines to suspend regular flights.The resulting decline in tourism has further strained the economy, said Samantha Hislop, co-chair of the Canadian Network on Cuba.“A lot of people are out of work,” said Hislop. “There is a lack of foreign currency coming in. Private businesses are severely affected so people don’t have money to purchase food.”..Hislop said shortages have become so severe that many families must obtain medicine from outside the country.“There is nothing in the pharmacies,” she told MPs.She added that Cuba’s domestic pharmaceutical sector is struggling to maintain production.“Cuba’s own biopharmaceutical industry can only now produce 30% of the medicines they used to be able to that are guaranteed to the population because they cannot access the raw materials,” said Hislop
