PETERS’ PIECE
Who is the Real Criminal?
While the world is preoccupied with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, most continue to turn a blind eye to a bigger crime against humanity that has been going on since 1959, the United States' economic blockade of Cuba.
While they are lamenting how brutal the Russian government is and the fact that the Ukraine invasion is illegal, they ignore that what the US is doing to Cuba is even more heinous because millions of people have been suffering through it for 60 years.
Last month, for the 30th consecutive year, the United States General Assembly voted overwhelmingly, condemning the blockade of Cuba. The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution but also for the 30th year in a row, the United States completely ignore the will of the international community and refused to consider lifting the blockade.
Since the institution of the US blockade shortly after the 1959 revolution, the people of Cuba, among the most industrious and hardworking people in the world, have been unable to achieve their full potential in terms of developing their country and taking their well-deserved place in the global scheme of thing.
After the votes at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, in September had been counted, 185 countries had voted against the blockade, two had abstained and two had voted for it. Consistently the only two countries voting in favour of the blockade had been the USA and Israel. Israel itself has one of the most brutal records as a country for what it continues to do to the Palestinians, especially civilians.
It is clear then that the US should be the last to talk about human rights violations and the treatment of one person by another. No one in their right mind would support the invasion of one country by another, there is nothing good or positive about war and by all means, the two warring countries should seek a peaceful settlement and stop the destruction of human lives first and foremost, and of property. The US and its European allies should be seeking a way to broker peace between the warring parties instead of feeding Ukraine with more and more weapons to prolong the war.
However, back to the US criminal blockade against Cuba, instead of easing the archaic blockade in this modern era, they continue to tighten it. Cuba has repeatedly voiced its willingness to negotiate but America has no interest in negotiation, just to cripple Cuba and hopefully destroy the government started by Fidel Castro in 1959.
Companies that trade in America are banned from trading with Cuba, even in basic items such as food and medicine, which is why the blockade is described as illegal, inhumane and a violation of the UN Charter, by human rights groups, entire countries and the UN General Assembly. That’s the same country that wants to determine who is right and who is wrong, even though they care nothing about the suffering that is causing to the ordinary Cuban simply because they insist that the Cuban government should change its political system and give in to the will of America.
And what is the reason America is so bitter against Cuba? Through American propaganda, when most people hear about Cuba, they think in terms of socialism and the cold war.
However, before the 1959 revolution, Cuba, under the leadership of the repressive dictator, Fulgencio Batista, Cuba was a virtual neo-colony of the US. All industries and resources were owned by US corporations. Cubans worked in the factories but the foreign businessmen pocketed the profits. They occasionally visited the island to gamble in their casinos and patronize the brothels but didn't live among the people. Despite being rich in resources and tourist attractions, most Cubans lived in poverty.
Eighty-five per cent of rural homes had no running water and 95% had no electricity. Only six of every 100 students in public schools complete grade six. That was Cuba before Castro and that's what prompted Castro, a lawyer by profession, and his group of guerrillas, to take to the hills and begin the fight to change all this. Of course, it is not in the interest of the US to remind the world of this. It is more in their interest to make Cuba pay for daring to take the future and resources of their country into their own hands.
The US supported the Castro government in the early days of the revolution but changed its stand as soon as Castro instituted land reform and began putting the lands previously owned by US businessmen in the hands of the Cuban people, who were the ones cultivating it anyway.
So, if the US and its allies are calling for fairness for all people the world over, Cuba is the first place they need to look. Continues next week.