Kuba – uppdatering 13 juli (svenska/ English)
Uttalande från brittiska solidaritetsrörelsen (English below)
Cuba Solidarity Campaign, CSC, uppmanar USA:s regering att häva blockaden av Kuba och tillåta akut medicinsk och humanitär hjälp till landet för att lätta på den ekonomiska- och hälsokris som landet genomlider.
Den nuvarande nödsituationen beror på den fortsatta blockaden, som intensifierades med ytterligare 243 åtgärder under Trump, samtidigt som Covid-pandemin rasar.
Kuba har visat en otrolig motståndskraft under 60 års ekonomisk krigföring från USA:s regeringar genom en blockad som syftar till att strypa ekonomin och skapa hunger och desperation för att destabilisera landet.
CSC är mot alla de uppmaningar till utländsk intervention som kommer från de i USA som vill exploatera de nuvarande svårigheterna och provocera fram oroligheter. Lösningen på de utmaningar som Kuba står inför måste lösas av det kubanska folket och vi måste stödja de ansträngningar som det kubanska folket och deras regering gör för att bekämpa pandemin under de pågående sanktionerna och provokationerna från USA.
11 juli ägde en del gatuprotester rum i protest mot knappheten på livsmedel, mediciner och elektricitet. Den överväldigande majoriteten av de som protesterar har genuina bekymmer vad gäller dessa brister. President Miguel Diaz-Canel reste till San Antonio de los Baños, platsen där protesterna startade, och pratade med folk om deras problem.
Vissa grupper vill exploatera den svåra situationen. De uppmanade till protester på andra platser vilket resulterade i protester på en del orter. Som svar på det gick tusentals kubaner över hela landet ut i demonstrationer mot USA:s inblandning och till stöd för Kubas regering.
Nu försöker högergrupper och politiker i USA, som stöder blockaden och kräver regim-förändring, att manipulera situationen. De har uppmanat till en så kallad ”humanitär korridor”, en förevändning för ett ingripande från USA. Den som är ärligt intresserad av att hjälpa det kubanska folket borde istället uppmana USA:s regering att lätta på de förlamande sanktionerna.
Uppmaningarna till att skicka hjälp via en USA-införd ”humanitär korridor” är falska och lögnaktiga. Det är samma personer som hycklande kräver en ”humanitär intervention” som samtidigt stöder den blockad som orsakat bristen på livsmedel, bränsle och mediciner.
CSC fördömer de i USA och annorstädes som cyniskt utnyttjar situationen för att destabilisera Kuba och CSC stöder Kubas rätt till självbestämmande.
CSC uppmanar Bidenadministrationen att följa omröstningen i FN:s Generalförsamling 23 juni som med röstsiffrorna 184 mot 2 röstade för ett slut på blockaden mot Kuba. Det är farligt och omoraliskt att försöka exploatera det kubanska folkets kamp för att tjäna de politiska intressena hos några få extremister i Miami.
Äkta ansträngningar att stödja det kubanska folket välkomnas. Enskilda och organisationer kan bidra genom att bli medlemmar i Svensk-Kubanska Föreningen och stödja kampanjen ”Kanyler till Kuba!” Swish 123 182 37 72; pg 235715-0 [Sista meningen anpassad till svenska förhållanden]
CSC 210713
SOLIDARITET! HÄV BLOCKADEN! KANYLER TILL KUBA!
Nu driver vi kampanjen ”Kanyler till Kuba”, för att stödja Kubas vaccinationsarbete i, och utanför Kuba.
GE ETT BIDRAG TILL MEDICIN-INSAMLINGEN! Pg 23 57 15 – 0 ELLER Swish 123 182 37 72
Ta ett steg till och bli en del av solidaritetsrörelsen!
Bli medlem i Svensk-Kubanska!
Ange namn, e-post, adress och skicka 300 kr för ett års medlemskap (150 för pensionärer, arbetslösa och studerande)
Swish 123 589 0975 eller Pg 40 54 11 – 0
Cuba Solidarity Campaign
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign calls on the US government to suspend the blockade of Cuba to allow emergency medical and humanitarian aid into the country in order to ease the economic and health crisis the island is experiencing.
The current emergency is a result of the ongoing US blockade, an additional 243 sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuba has shown incredible resilience in the face of six decades of economic warfare by the US government in the form of a blockade intended to strangle the economy and create hunger and hardship in an attempt to destabilise the country.
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign opposes any calls for foreign intervention coming from those in the US who seek to exploit the current difficulties and provoke unrest. The solution to the challenges Cuba faces must be resolved by the people of Cuba and we support the efforts that the Cuban people and their government are making to fight the pandemic in the face of ongoing sanctions and provocations from the US.
On Sunday 11 July, some street protests took place against the scarcity of food, medicines and power supplies. The vast majority of these protesters have genuine concerns regarding these shortages. President Miguel Díaz-Canel travelled to San Antonio de los Baños, site of the original demonstration, and spoke to people about their grievances.
Some groups are seeking to exploit and provoke this difficult situation. They called for people to protest in other locations, resulting in protests in some towns and cities. In response, thousands of Cubans supporting the government have taken to the streets across the island in counter-demonstrations against US interference.
Now right-wing, pro-blockade, and regime-change politicians and groups in the US are also seeking to manipulate the situation. They have called for a so-called “humanitarian corridor” (a pretext for US intervention) to be set up. Anyone genuinely interested in helping the Cuban people at this time should instead be calling for the US government to ease the crippling sanctions.
The calls for US aid delivered through a US-imposed “humanitarian corridor” are disingenuous and fraudulent. These are the same people who hypocritically call for humanitarian intervention while supporting blockade policies which have caused shortages of food, fuel and medicines.
CSC condemns those in the US and internationally who are cynically using the situation to destabilise Cuba, and supports Cuba’s right to self-determination.
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign appeals to the Biden administration to observe the recent United Nations General Assembly vote on 23 June 2021 which voted 184-2 for an end to the blockade of Cuba. It is immoral and dangerous to seek to exploit the current struggles of the Cuban people to serve the political objectives of a few hardliners in Miami.
Genuine efforts to support the Cuban people are welcome. Individuals and organisations can directly help by becoming members of CSC
Donations can also be made to CSC’s COVID-19 Medical Appeal.
Background information
In recent days Cuba has experienced its worst increase in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with a severe outbreak in the Matanzas which has stretched capacity in hospitals and isolation centres to the limit. Five hundred medics from other parts of the country have been deployed in the province to help. It is important to note that while the situation is severe, the numbers of cases and deaths are far below those in most other countries of the region including the United States itself which as of 10 July had a death rate of 1,870 per million compared to Cuba’s 139 per million.
At the same time Cuba is in the midst of its most severe economic crisis for more thirty years. The sixty year-old US blockade was tightened by the Trump administration by imposing 243 extra sanctions – all of which remain in place. These measures had already resulted in grave food, medical and fuel shortages before the pandemic struck. In addition, increasing numbers of banks are refusing to transfer funds to Cuba for fear of US fines, and it is now almost impossible for Cubans living abroad to transfer money to family on the island. With the onset of COVID-19, Cuba has also lost vital income from international tourism, which was down 94 per cent in the first four months of 2021.
Fuel shortages are causing many power cuts, which in the height of summer mean that air conditioning and fridges don’t work. There are long queues for food, medicines and basic goods. Without doubt the Cuban people are experiencing incredible hardship. People with friends or family in Cuba will have heard how difficult things are.
Last year the US blockade even prevented delivery of a consignment of COVID-19 medical aid for Cuba, including PPE, ventilators and testing equipment. Despite having two home-grown vaccines, Cuba’s vaccination roll-out programme is hindered by a lack of syringes and raw materials as a direct result of the blockade. Solidarity organisations around the world have had funding sites raising money for COVID-19 medical aid closed down because of blockade measures. CSC itself receives numerous enquiries from people who can’t find a way to transfer money to friends and family in Cuba. Meanwhile, the US government spends millions of dollars every year on so-called “democracy promotion” on the island, funding groups and individuals who work undercover attempting to build US-supported opposition.
If those calling for humanitarian aid to Cuba were genuine in their intentions they would start with calling for the blockade to be lifted to allow medical and other supplies to be sent to Cuba. However their true objectives are those of the blockade itself. As the infamous US State Department memorandum on the blockade of 1960 laid out:
“The only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship… every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba… a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.”
