Cuban ambassador to Moscow Juan Valdes denounced the US economic blockade of his country, whose economic damage has reached over 975 billion dollars.

During a meeting with students at Moscow´s Arts Institute, the Cuban diplomat put forth facts exposing the economic, commercial and financial anti-Cuba policy maintained by Washington for over 50 years.

Addressing a group of US students at the meeting, Valdes said that his country faces problems with the US administration, but not with the US people, while the Cuban government has reiterated its will to normalize bilateral relations.

The US blockade damages the island´s economic activity and forbids the country from using US dollars in international transactions, while at the same time punishes foreign companies that do business with Cuba.

The Cuban ambassador also explained that his country has suffered from the consequences of terrorist actions, which have claimed over 3 000 lives, including the bombing in mid air of a Cuban jetliner in 1976, which killed 73 people, and the bomb attempts in Havana tourist resorts.

However, said the ambassador, those who masterminded those terrorist actions enjoy freedom on US territory, while five Cuban antiterrorist fighters were imprisoned in that country precisely because they tried to prevent such acts from taking place.

During the meeting the Cuban diplomat answered questions by the students on different aspects of Cuban reality to later attend an exhibit about the scientific, tourist, cultural and sports development in Cuba.