Paris, France.- The Cuba Coopération France (CubaCoop) association envisions a 2021 of broad activity on the island, with initiatives to support food security, hydraulic development and other socioeconomic sectors, its president, Víctor Fernández, said today.

In an interview with Prensa Latina, Fernandez shared some plans for next year, which he framed in the priority of supporting the largest of the Antilles in its fight against the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, a siege intensified by the administration of Donald Trump.

We have a food safety project in the central province of Cienfuegos, which includes the production of pork and for which we launched a campaign in France with the aim of collecting 120 thousand euros, with the first contributions already made, he said.

According to Fernández, accompanying Cuban authorities, both national and local, in the battle for food security and import substitution represents an important goal of the organization created in 1995.

Another important area of ??cooperation is hydraulics, with the expectation of promoting the Gran Piedra project already underway, in Santiago de Cuba, and of discussing new initiatives with the Cuban counterpart, he said.

The president of CubaCoop announced that during 2021 the priority of informing the French about the reality of the island will continue, in the face of lies and manipulation.

The intention is to make available information channels more attractive, including the weekly La lettre électronique Hebdo, appealing to social networks and other innovative tools, he explained.

Fernández told Prensa Latina that next year the association will maintain the call for solidarity with the Caribbean country, in order to translate it into new donations in key social sectors, including health.

During 2020 we sent six containers with help, for example with beds for hospitals, and we already plan another two, for Havana and Cienfuegos, he added.

According to the leader of CubaCoop, Covid-19 did not prevent cooperation with Cuba from maintaining its course, although it did limit initiatives and direct exchanges with actors enrolled in the multiple projects.

The pandemic took its toll, but thanks to the efforts of all parties we can say that the year that is ending was one of the best, with around one million euros invested, he stressed. CubaCoop plans, when sanitary conditions allow it, to carry out a Unesco tribute to the late Havana historian Eusebio Leal and a work trip to the island.

In these times of Covid-19 we have kept monitoring the multiple projects through videoconferences, but direct contact with the people who in the largest of the Antilles perform extraordinary work is important, he insisted.