The United States intervenes in Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

By David Brooks Last updated Jul 14, 2021

From La Jornada

The United States government immediately expressed its support for the anti-government protests taking place in Cuba due to the crisis in that country, but did not acknowledge that U.S. measures designed to suffocate the island’s economy, and which the international community just recently condemned for the 29th time at the UN, have that exact purpose. In other words, the measures are meant to generate that type of crisis, not to mention the millions of dollars that Washington dedicates to intervene in the internal affairs of Cuba, including promoting just these types of protests.

President Joe Biden expressed “our support for the Cuban people and their cry for freedom and relief from the tragic consequences of the pandemic and the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime.” He added, “the Cuban people are acting with courage in claiming their fundamental and universal rights” and called for the “Cuban regime to listen to its people and attend to their needs in this vital moment instead of enriching itself.”

At a press conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented that “tens of thousands” of Cubans took to the streets to “exercise their rights of peaceful assembly and express their perspectives … calling for freedom and human rights” and criticizing the “Cuban authoritarian regime for failing to meet the most basic needs of the people, including food and medicine.” He urged the Cuban government not to repress the protesters and allow these people to “determine their own future.”

Both statements, like several more of his subordinates in the administration, were notable for what they did not mention: that the policies of the six-decade embargo along with the more than 243 measures enacted during the Trump administration are designed exactly for that: to suffocate the Cuban economy and to cause shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Precisely because of their effects on the Cuban people, they were condemned by an overwhelming majority of the United Nations General Assembly on June 23, including almost all of Washington’s allies with the exception of Israel.

Nor did they mention that Washington continues to distribute more than $20 million annually in “assistance” to Cuban anti-government groups. In the federal budget bill for the next fiscal year, the U.S. government intends to grant another 20 million for “construction of democracy, human rights and civil society programs in Cuba.” Almost 13 million are also proposed for Radio and TV Martí, among other propaganda channels (it is not public how many more million in secret operations).

What has surprised several experts and observers of the bilateral relationship is the decision of the new Biden administration, to date, not to make a turn in policy towards the island, which Biden promised to do in his electoral campaign where it stated that the Cuba’s policies of isolation had failed.

More:
https://progresoweekly.us/the-united-states-intervenes-in-cuba/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Cuba: Unrest and interference

By La Jornada On Jul 14, 2021

A La Jornada Editorial

Thousands of Cubans demonstrated last Sunday against the shortage of basic items, the shortage and the intermittent power cuts, among other demands. In a completely unusual way in the protests that take place on the island, during the marches there were looting of shops and attacks on police patrols, as well as violent arrests of those who caused excesses.

In response, President Miguel Díaz-Canel appeared at the protest held in the town of San Antonio de los Baños to listen to the demands of the population and explain the reasons for the hardships afflicting the country. The president acknowledged that not all the protesters are “far from being counterrevolutionary,” but “dissatisfied” people, but he also denounced the destabilization campaign hatched by the Cuban-American mafia, and argued that “those who encourage these demonstrations do not want the well-being of the people, but the privatization of health and education, neoliberalism.”

It would be childish to deny that in that country, as in many others, there is a social sector dissatisfied with the authorities and determined to take to the streets to make their demands. It is known, on the other hand, that this malaise has been exacerbated and widened as a result of the prolonged pandemic that has paralyzed tourism, one of the main sources of employment and income on the island. On the other hand, it is clear that the difficulties experienced by millions of Cubans originate, in part, from government inefficiencies and bureaucratic inertia.

However, it would be enormously naive to believe that there is no promotion of these demonstrations from Washington and Miami, and it would be absurd to ignore the weight that the six decades of the U.S. blockade against the island have had in the gestation of this social anger, since this brutal and permanent violation of the human rights of all Cubans is expressly designed to generate discontent against the regime and subdue it through hunger and general deprivation.

More:
https://progresoweekly.us/cuba-unrest-and-interference/

[Budi]

2. Exactly how it had to be handled

President Joe Biden expressed “our support for the Cuban people and their cry for freedom and relief from the tragic consequences of the pandemic and the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime.” He added, “the Cuban people are acting with courage in claiming their fundamental and universal rights” and called for the “Cuban regime to listen to its people and attend to their needs in this vital moment instead of enriching itself.”

Thank you President Biden for calling out the repressive Cuban Govt.

The change has to come from the people themselves. US is here to assist the people where allowed.

Pressure continues to be put upon the current Leader by President Biden, & THAT is how the oppressive regime will change from within.

As the US commits its diplomacy & support, the people of Cuba demand change.

It has been decades in the making.

[marble falls]

3. It's one thing to call out represive regimes. And another to cut another country off ...

... at the knees economically. Fidel replaced a US backed series of repressive regimes.

I see no evidence that the Cuban Americans represent a majority of Cubans.

[Budi]

4. Tell me what proactive thing can the US do right now?

Since the offers for generosity result in the Cuban govt hoarding over half & what's left then distributed to the citizens, what is it that will bring about necessary change to the Cuban govt?

It's not that the Cuban govt hasn't been given plenty of assistance for its people, rather the corrupt govt doesn't allow the assistance to trickle down where needed most.

So what does the US do, aside from negotiating with the new Cuban leadership to end its structure of corruption.

If we were simply dealing with Cuba, it may swiftly be done.
However, which regimes/gov'ts around the world also have some hands in the Cuban structure?

Who else would we have to deal with to bring change to the Cuban govt?

[MiroJarvis]

5. Just let them be

US doesn't have to "bring change" to any government.

[gopiscrap]

6. welcome to DU

[MiroJarvis]

7. Thank you

[gopiscrap]

8. absolutely

hope you have fun here