The working people of Cuba are mobilizing to defend the Cuban revolution and drive pro-U.S. reactionaries from the streets. The Cuban people are united in overcoming the costly U.S. economic embargo and subversion. Cubans steadfastly refuse to return to being a colony controlled by the U.S. Older Cubans remember when it was a playground for American millionaires and gangsters, with widespread poverty, abuse of workers and death an everyday part of life.
Back in 1959, the Cuban revolution shook the captains of Wall Street to their core. The rich have still have not gotten over it. With the working class and its allies in power for 60 years now, it will take more than a few scattered protests demanding the privatization of health care to bring down the system of worker rule.
Health care is now the main sector of the economy in Cuba, and its importance has only risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuba has one of the lowest rates of infection and death in the entire world. However, the U.S. encouraged the people and groups they funnel money toward to protest a recent surge of infections and rise in deaths. Instead of sending medical aid, President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken try to stir up trouble.
Cuba is facing economic hardships too. The start of COVID-19 pandemic shut down the other big sector of their economy – tourism. If President Biden really wants to help out Cuba, then he should pursue and go beyond President Obama’s policies to ease economic restrictions, restore travel and diplomatic relations. If the U.S. can trade and cooperate with China and Vietnam, why not Cuba and Venezuela?
Due to Cuba’s rapid development of vaccines, it is unlikely the COVID-19 crisis will last much longer. Cuba is already sharing its vaccine variant with other countries like Venezuela. What may have happened with these COVID-19 protests in Cuba, is that the U.S. State Department saw their chance to act, and likely wanted to take our eyes away from the massive protest movements for democracy and social revolution in Colombia and Haiti. Those are real crises.
Cubans understand the goal of the U.S., whether Trump or Biden is in the White House, is to turn their country into a colony like Puerto Rico or perhaps neo-colonies like Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Remember Trump throwing paper towels at Puerto Ricans after their country was devastated by a hurricane? Puerto Rico has seen little aid, causing masses of people to flee to the U.S. mainland. Haiti may soon be occupied by U.S. troops again after their president was killed by U.S. and Colombian mercenaries. The U.S. empire is in crisis and weakening year by year, no matter whether there are Republicans or Democrats in office.
Most Cubans work hard to strengthen and improve socialism in their homeland. Many tens of thousands travel overseas every year as doctors, nurses, teachers and sports coaches to help working people in other countries, from the Caribbean to Africa, and even to Italy. Cubans travel the world and see the realities, sometimes harsh, of many other countries under U.S. control. They understand that without socialism the majority of Cubans will have lives like the poor masses in parts of the rest of the world, without access to health care, education, food or culture.
In response to the ridiculous pro-U.S. marches, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared, “We call on all the revolutionaries of the country, all the communists, to go out in the streets where these provocations will occur, from now on and in the next few days. And to face them in a decisive, firm, and courageous way!”
We should stand with the Cuban people. We must oppose U.S. aggression. We call to end the U.S. harmful and deadly sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela.
