US Blockade Causes Material Shortage, Cuba Suspends Issuance of Identity Documents

On the 25th, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Identity, Immigration, and Foreigners announced that due to the increasing U.S. blockade against Cuba, there is a shortage of card materials used for making identification documents domestically, and the issuance of IDs has been suspended. The announcement said that once supplies are available, the production of related identification documents will resume. The department will continue to process ID applications, and applicants can pick up a proof of identity at the relevant offices before official documents are issued. The announcement also stated that as long as the IDs in use can fully verify the holder’s identity, they will remain valid without expiration date restrictions. After the Cuban Revolution’s victory in 1959, the U.S. government adopted hostile policies against Cuba. In 1962, the U.S. imposed an economic, financial blockade, and trade embargo on Cuba. In January 2021, the U.S. listed Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.” Currently, relations between Cuba and the U.S. are tense. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 29 this year, threatening to impose tariffs on U.S. goods supplied to oil-producing countries that trade with Cuba. On February 6, Cuba announced a series of measures in response to the new round of U.S. oil sanctions. (Xinhua)