Meyvis Estévez, First Secretary of the National Committee of the Young Communist League (UJC), spoke on Tuesday at the World Festival of Youth in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where she presented Cuba’s vision regarding social justice, sovereignty, and the active role of youth.
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The leader noted that current generations constitute the present and future of their nations; in Cuba, they are rights-holders and strategic protagonists in national development, with public policies formulated through collective effort.
During her address, she denounced the tightening of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, which has intensified since January with an energy embargo. Estévez Echeverría warned that this measure causes shortages of essential goods; for instance, the survival rate for children with cancer dropped from 85 to 65 percent, and infant mortality rose from 4.4 to 9.9 per thousand live births between 2018 and 2025.
Regarding healthcare, she reported that 300 of the 395 medicines produced in Cuba are currently unavailable due to difficulties in accessing raw materials. She described it as grotesque that more than 7,000 containers of food and medicine remain stranded in various countries due to the extraterritorial effects of U.S. policy.
Despite these difficulties, she highlighted that the main challenge for Cuban youth is to overcome the blockade through innovation, entrepreneurship, science, and community leadership, noting that on September 1st, all schools opened their doors for the new academic year.
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The text reads, “During the Youth Festival held in Russia, Meyvis Estévez, First Secretary of the UJC National Committee, held a cordial meeting with Xiaofei Tian, Deputy Secretary-General of the All-China Youth Federation. We expressed our gratitude for the ongoing displays of solidarity with Cuba and for the recent activities organized by China to honor the centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. Proposals for concrete actions were discussed to follow up on the historic agreement signed by the youth organizations of both countries in 2023. We extended an invitation for him to visit Cuba next year, when the UJC will mark its 65th anniversary.”
To address these challenges, she proposed strengthening international cooperation in five areas: education and training; science and innovation; community volunteering; youth communication; and international solidarity.
Finally, she thanked the Festival for dedicating a mural exhibition to the historic leader Fidel Castro Ruz during his centenary year, and reaffirmed that “Cuba will not be subdued” and relies on its youth to defend dignity and the right of peoples to determine their own destiny.
The World Youth Festival brings together more than 10,000 leaders and delegates from 191 countries. Launched by decree of President Vladimir Putin under the slogan “Pursue Your Dream,” the event seeks to foster intercultural dialogue and advance toward a polycentric and equitable world.
Organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, the agenda brings together professionals and environmentalists focused on the global well-being of the Global South and emerging economies. Its activities revolve around seven strategic pillars, including the preservation of cultural identity, technological development, the energy transition, and international mobility.
Attendees will travel along 33 routes across 35 Russian regions to explore their scientific and industrial development. In the face of barriers and unilateral impositions from the West, the platform aims to strengthen sovereign cooperation among peoples and break down geopolitical boundaries through alliances based on mutual respect.
The event reaffirms the principle of self-determination, highlighting the key role of new generations in building a just, peaceful, and diverse international architecture.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | In Cuba, over a million students return to school, marking an achievement for the nation’s education system amid ongoing United States aggression. pic.twitter.com/oMCCt8jRPD
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 4, 2026
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