Tiny Cuba-- the Jewel of the Caribbean, the Isle of Freedom, the Beacon for the Oppressed-- is clinging by a thread to its independence and its vision. Revolutionary Cuba-- defiant of the world’s most powerful imperialist center-- suffers from a brutal, ever-tightening blockade imposed by the US ruling class. Fidel’s Cuba-- a bastion of socialism and proletarian internationalism-- refuses to surrender its integrity and its devotion to its people.
The US government first imposed an economic and financial blockade on Cuba sixty-six years ago, the longest forced, complete economic sanctions ever imposed by one state on another. Despite widespread, and frequent condemnation, the blockade has intensified, resulting in today’s genocidal denial of energy resources, leaving the island frequently without light, domestic safety, transportation, health care, education, or food security. While Cubans endure, they are facing more and more difficult circumstances.
It is said that the Great Powers never forgave Haiti for its successful slave rebellion. Since the uprising led by Toussaint L’Ouverture, powerful nations have guaranteed that the people of Haiti would suffer for their audacity and rebelliousness. The same could be said for Cuba. The US and its allies will never forgive a small, racially and culturally diverse country for its embrace of socialism and its unparalleled commitment to international solidarity. Cuba has offered an alternative vision to the peoples of the former colonies, a vision that continues to challenge the decadence and mindless consumerism of capitalism.
From the 1959 revolution forward, Cuba offered unlimited selfless aid to the oppressed and exploited of the world. For Cuba’s revolutionaries, it was not enough to be generous with material and moral aid to liberation movements like Algeria or the Congo, it was not enough to simply stand with Vietnam or with the former Portuguese colonies. Mere generosity was not enough for Cuba- a resource-poor, long-exploited country. Sacrifice was demanded by Cuba’s version of socialism-- the sacrifice made by brothers and sisters, by comrades. Since the revolution, Cuban internationalists have died in almost every area of resistance, like the construction workers resisting the unprovoked invasion of Grenada. And as recently as this past January, 32 Cuban security personnel were murdered defending Venezuelan sovereignty from US invaders.
Back when most of the peoples of the world were decrying the brutality of South African Apartheid, few of their governments did more than issue proclamations denouncing racial discrimination and limit some economic activity. Among those who offered concrete aid to those resisting South African racialism, one government rallied its people to join those fighting the brutal regime and its surrogates. With South Africa (and the US, Zaire, China, Israel, among others) actively supporting counter-revolutionaries in Angola, Cuba sent volunteers to fight alongside the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). With the material support of the USSR, Cuba met every escalation of the war-- including the active intervention of the Apartheid forces-- with more troops and weapons.
Under Operation Carlota, Cuban volunteers helped secure the creation of an independent Angolan government in 1975, free of their colonial masters, and their Angolan surrogates. Most importantly, Cuban support was critical in defeating the Apartheid and mercenary intervention.
In response to reactionary indignation over Cuban engagement, Fidel Castro responded directly:
Why were they vexed? Why had they planned everything to take possession of Angola before 11 November? Angola is a country rich in resources. In Cabinda there is lots of oil. Some imperialists wonder why we help the Angolans, which interests we have. They are used to thinking that one country helps another one only when it wants its oil, copper, diamonds or other resources. No, we are not after material interests and it is logical that this is not understood by the imperialists. They only know chauvinistic, nationalistic and selfish criteria. By helping the people of Angola, we are fulfilling a fundamental duty of Internationalism.
In desperation and with the urging and support of the US government, South Africa returned again to remove Angola from the struggle for Namibian and South African freedom. With Operation Maniobra XXXI Aniversario, the Cubans delivered a decisive defeat to the racists at Cuito Cuanavale. Upon his first visit to any country after his release from prison, South African leader Nelson Mandela spoke the following remarks in Havana, Cuba:
The Cuban people hold a special place in the hearts of the people of Africa. The Cuban internationalists have made a contribution to African independence, freedom and justice unparalleled for its principled and selfless character - We in Africa are used to being victims of countries wanting to carve up our territory or subvert our sovereignty. It is unparalleled in African history to have another people rise to the defence of one of us - The defeat of the apartheid army was an inspiration to the struggling people in South Africa! Without the defeat of Cuito Cuanavale our organizations would not have been unbanned! The defeat of the racist army at Cuito Cuanavale has made it possible for me to be here today! Cuito Cuanavale was a milestone in the history of the struggle for southern African liberation!
Yes, imperialism never forgave Cuba for its sacrifices for the liberation of Africa. Like the Haitian revolutionaries, Cuban freedom fighters earned the ire of every scoundrel, racist, grifter, and killer in the empires. Cubans wrote one of the greatest chapters in the history of working-class internationalism.
Quietly, but effectively, Cuba has sent doctors and health care workers to every corner of the world, wherever there was a need. No country has stepped up more than Cuba in giving life where life was most in danger. Cuban volunteers even offered their services to countries whose governments did not want them!
Tens of thousands of students, lacking educational opportunities in their own poor countries, have received a free, advanced education in Cuba, a country that has built an impressive truly public educational system in the relatively short history of the revolution.
Cuba has accomplished unmatched feats of solidarity with a population smaller than some of the world’s largest cities!
While millions of the oppressed, exploited, and needy understand and appreciate the Cuban revolution, their oppressors and exploiters despise the existence of an alternative vision-- a counter-vision-- to a world where markets, commodities, and self-interest determine every motive, every action.
In a capitalist-dominated world where one’s place in society is decided by a competitive zero-sum game, where social life divides between winners and losers, where personal identity trumps common humanity, revolutionary Cuba is one of the few places remaining where one can find an alternative. Cuba lives and breathes the call of The Communist Manifesto: Workers of the World Unite!
Every US administration has supported the blockade of Cuba and sought the overthrow of the Cuban revolution’s leadership. It should be no surprise that the most powerful force in the imperialist system-- the state that assumes the global defense of the capitalist mode of production-- would do all it can to destroy this living proof that there is an alternative.
Today, the Trump administration has severely tightened the grip on the Cuban economy, not only thwarting commerce with Cuba, but also denying Cuban access to the very essentials of life. A resource-poor country, Cuba has been denied the energy resources essential to maintain daily life. Existing energy lifelines have been severed by the US blockade.
Further, the Trump regime has charged the retired head of the FAR (the Cuban military), Raúl Castro, with permitting the interception of a plane from Cuban-exile provocateur Jose Basulto’s private air force in 1996. As the National Security Archives has shown, this charge is ludicrous.
Basulto’s group had violated Cuban air space on numerous occasions, despite Cuban objections and warnings. Both the State Department and the FAA had also warned Basulto about the provocations. On the night of the fatal shootdown, the State Department asked the FAA to deny the plane’s departure, but the FAA ignored the request. Before the defensive action, the Cuban flight controller told the pilot calmly that “the zone north of Havana is active. You run danger by penetrating that side of North 24.” The charge against Raul Castro is absurd and a ridiculous attempt to justify US intervention in Cuban affairs.
It must be said that countries once benefited by Cuban sacrifices have failed to show the same selfless solidarity in response to the imperialist-imposed crisis. Sadly, far wealthier, more powerful countries have succumbed to US pressure as well as commercial concerns, and denied sufficient assistance to Cuba in its desperate time of need-- a moral failing that could never be said of the Cuban people and their government. The failings of others only underscore the unique greatness of Cuban internationalism.
We must make every effort to see that the flame of international solidarity maintained by Fidel and his comrades is never extinguished by the brutal regime from the North.
Greg Godels
zzsblogml@gmail.com
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