In statements to Granma newspaper, the specialist noted that the US government’s blockade exerts an enormous pressure on the entity because they must spend between 40 and 50 percent more financial resources than other facilities in the world to acquire supplies and reagents in third countries.

According to Montes de Oca, this situation worsened with the effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the world with the delay in the delivery of supplies, difficulties in their production, as well as the restrictive measures of border closures.

In addition, during the administration of former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021), the laboratory did not receive the funds for services rendered to different international anti-doping organizations.

Despite the blockade and the pandemic, the facility came out satisfactory in the exams to maintain the status of laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, among the 26 global institutions certified during 2020, Montes de Oca detailed.

To achieve this goal, the center’s staff maintained its work remotely and a small group of workers was in charge of maintaining vitality in the face of the need to conserve international samples, many of them unanalyzed.

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