Dear Editor,
Since July 11, 2021, the international press has been reporting on the demonstrations that have been taking place in Cuba. This is due to the difficult economic situation that has been imposed on that country.
I say ‘imposed’ because Cuba, since the very early 1960s did not have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field to get a chance to show the full strength of its system. That country has had to face one of the worse economic blockades in history. Many other countries which faced a less oppressive sanctions have collapsed.
Despite the great hardship that the people have to face, due to the blockade and the regular additional sanctions, Cuba has achieved many impressive advances.
At this time when the world is fighting a pandemic, COVID-19, not seen for more than one hundred years, Cuba was able to develop two vaccines. The only developing country to do so.
Over the years Cuba was able to create the conditions for social and economic growth. It has a highly educated population. It has a healthy population. The life expectancy in Cuba is equal to the most developed countries in the world.
The only obstacle to its growth is the economic blockade imposed by the United States.
Cuba is also forced to use a huge amount of its resources on security because of the hostility of the US. This is another unnecessary imposition on the Cuban people.
Despite all of these, Cuba was able to help many countries in this region, Africa and others to build their human capital. Such generosity is rarely known in human history.
Friends and well-wishers of Cuba had hoped that President Biden would have reversed the sanctions reimposed by the Donald Trump Administration on Cuba. That hope sprang from the fact that President Biden was part of the Obama Government that had lifted many of the oppressive measures on Cuba. However, Biden seems to have adopted Trump’s line on Cuba.
No doubt we would hear from forces hostile to Cuba that the cause of this latest demonstration is the fault of the Cuban Administration.
That argument cannot hold.
To prove that, the United States should lift the sanctions. Cuba should be allowed to function and compete on an equal basis. Only then would we be able to ascertain the true strength or weakness of the Cuban system. Failing to give Cuba an equal chance can only be interpreted as engineered economic oppression and the demonstration would be seen as instigation from outside.
End the blockade and allow Cuba an equal opportunity to build the economy and its social system.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
