AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The leaders of the world's developing countries met in Cuba this weekend. The group, known as G-77, gathered, along with China, to discuss science and technology. But geopolitics ended up taking center stage. NPR's Eyder Peralta is in Havana and joins us now with more. Hi, Eyder.
EYDER PERALTA, BYLINE: Hey, Ayesha.
RASCOE: OK, so give us an idea of what was discussed at the summit.
PERALTA: There was some very real talk. What's clear is that the Global South writ large is not making as much progress as anyone would like. President - Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said it clearly. He said developing countries are facing the brunt of the world's problems - everything from hunger to poverty to displacement - and climate change is worse in the Global South. Diaz-Canel called on countries to unite. Let's listen.
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PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL: (Speaking Spanish).
PERALTA: And what he's saying is "because the South can no longer bear the dead weight of misery." Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also called for bold action. He called the six-decade-old U.S. sanctions on Cuba criminal, and he said it was time for the Global South to raise its voice - denounce unilateral actions. Let's listen.
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PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO: (Speaking Spanish).
PERALTA: And he's saying, "We have to find our own path, our own political models and not accept dictates from any ex-world power or any world power who wants to dominate, colonize."
RASCOE: I mean, that comment certainly sounds like a swipe at the U.S.
PERALTA: It is. And the president of Nicaragua, in case you didn't get that swipe - Daniel Ortega put it more bluntly. He said, we all know it. For almost two centuries, the enemy is the same - the USA. But I think one really interesting part of this summit is that there's some serious fissures between leaders that should be allies in Latin America. For example, in the past few weeks, there has been a tit for tat between the leftist leaders of Colombia and Chile against the Nicaraguan president, who they call a dictator. And Ortega responded by branding them traitors and trash. But yesterday, in his speech, he called for unity. But this is a real rift. It's a real argument between leaders who seem to find answers in democracy and those who find answers in authoritarianism.
RASCOE: So did anything concrete come out of the summit?
PERALTA: Not really. I mean, it was a show of solidarity among the Global South countries. The joint declaration called for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba without saying it directly. It also called for a more inclusive global financial system. But concretely, no. The most concrete thing that came out of this summit is that the G-77 plus China agreed to declare September 16 as the Day of Science, Technology and Innovation in the South.
RASCOE: So over the past couple of years, we've heard a lot about the dire economic situation in Cuba. Apart from the summit, have you been able to get out and about and see for yourself on the ground?
PERALTA: I have, and what you see is an economic crisis. And it's because of a perfect storm. President Trump tightened sanctions against Cuba. COVID hit. Tourism hasn't recovered. And then you have some economic policy decisions by the Cuban government that have not worked out. So here on the streets, you see long lines at government supermarkets, and the currency has taken a massive hit. The pain is evident when you greet people. You say, (speaking Spanish). How's it going? And the answer is unfailingly, we're making it work. And I'll give you one example. A well-paid doctor in Cuba makes about 7,000 pesos. And yesterday, I found a carton of a carton of eggs on the black market for 3,500 pesos. That's half of a doctor's monthly salary for 30 eggs. And that tells you that the economic basics in Cuba are out of whack. So life is incredibly difficult.
RASCOE: That's NPR's Eyder Peralta in Havana. Eyder, thank you so much.
PERALTA: Thank you, Ayesha. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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