Lawrence Wilkerson, retired Army Colonel and past aide & adviser to Colin Powell, on why Cuba embargo needs to end now.

Let’s chalk up the losses of late in Latin America:

We’re being tossed out of Venezuela.

We’re being tossed out of Bolivia.

We’re despised in Argentina.

Nicaragua looks favorably on Russia’s move into Georgia.

Honduras and Guatemala hold their noses when they deal with us.

We’re barely tolerated in Mexico and puzzled over in Brazil, the real looming giant of Sudamérica. In fact, the best leader in the Western Hemisphere, Luiz Ignácio Lula da Silva, just ignores us most of the time because to him, I’m sure, we are indecipherably stupid.

His solution? End the embargo on Cuba and normalize relations with them. Then Latin America would know the US was serious about change.

There’s another, more pressing reason, Wilkerson says. The recent hurricanes have devastated Cuba. “There were reports of walls of water 50 feet high hitting the north shore.” 440,000 homes were destroyed. Food is running out. They need construction material and heavy equipment so they can rebuild. Immediately.

America needs to put politics aside. It is time to do the right thing. Protect the lives of innocent Cubans, protect our electoral process, end a 50-year-old failed policy, and be good Samaritans.

1 Comment »

The Havana Note is a DC-based blog whose contributors include Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, a former aide to Colin Powell. They favor “engagement with Cuba” and, I assume, ending the embargo. They can be quite Cuba-friendly.

But they do think there’s co-dependent behavior going on, what with the “continued dysfunction of Washington’s dependence on the Embargo as a source of electoral votes” at witnessed by Sen. Joe Lieberman wanting an Omega 7 terrorist freed from US prison. Counterbalanced with that is Raul Castro as much as admitting the embargo isn’t isolating them but then using it as a pretext to justify more military spending and beef up security.

I argue that the embargo is more useful to Havana than to the Washington. Havana, unaffected by the sanctions, uses the blockade as an excuse to maintain a outsize military and to ramp up nationalism. It is an essential crutch for a Revolution that cannot find a modern, progressive pathway.

Hmmm. Substitute “Neoliberalism” for “Revolution” and they could be talking about the United States.

No Comments »

Steve Clemons says the US thinks the embargo gives it leverage in Cuba, but in reality is does no such thing.

Wen I was in Havana, I met some Israelis involved with managing Cuban citrus groves. I saw a Benetton store in the new Havana. I saw Chinese selling major port infrastructure loading equipment to Cuba. British Petroleum was having a cocktail party on the roof of my hotel. Tourism is high. There is always a sense of leverage that the US thinks it has — but that leverage is now mostly fictional — as Cuba has found other thoroughfares for growth.

The only leverage America has on lifting or maintaining the embargo is with an aging, Castro-obsessed, reactionary population in Miami that thankfully is being taken over by a more rational contingent of Cuban-Americans who have either rethought their views or who just don’t carry the same views as their elders in their younger portfolios of experience.

End the embargo now.

Can you imagine what kind of creativity and mashups will occur when US hip hop gets together with Cuban musicians? Seriously! This being just a tiny example of what could happen once the embargo is lifted. Which may be what the younger Cuban-Americans in Miami are thinking too.

1 Comment »

From The Independent comes a fascinating assortment of information about Cuba.

Quote attributed to Castro: “If surviving assassination attempts were an Olympic event, I would win the gold medal.”

Size of the original rebel army led by Castro and including Che Guevara that sailed to Cuba in 1956, eventually toppling President Batista on 1 January 1959: 82

Most were killed quickly upon landing. Just eleven, I believe, escaped to the mountains, on the run from Batista’s forces. Three years later the rebels marched on Havana as victors with hundreds of thousands following them. This could not have happened without huge and genuine support from the populace.

In 2004 Cuba passed a law forbidding private citizens to access the internet. It is illegal to buy a computer without government approval, which is rarely granted to ordinary Cubans. Similar restrictions apply to the ownership of mobile phones.

Cuba declines all requests from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to visit the island.

Castro, on abolishing general elections in 1961: “The revolution has no time for elections. There is no more democratic government in Latin America than the revolutionary government.”

Democracy means the people elect their leaders, and not a privileged inner council only vaguely beholden to the population. If Cuba wants to stop US criticism cold, having open elections of the president would be the best way to do it. And let AI and HRW in too.

Healthcare, Cuban
Life expectancy at birth: male 75.11; female: 79.85 (US: 75.02; 80.82).
Infant mortality rate: 6.22 deaths per 1,000 live births (US: 6.43).

Number of “organoponicos” (organic urban allotments) in Cuba: more than 7,000, totalling about 80,000 acres.

Number of such gardens in Havana: more than 200 (which supply the city with more than 90 per cent of its fruit and vegetables).

In health care and organic, locally grown food, Cuba absolutely shines. They’ve made huge friends worldwide by sending highly qualified doctors everywhere at no charge. When the USSR collapsed, they were forced to create organic, locally grown food and are now a world leader at this.

Cuba has been described as the largest American car museum in the world.

Ah. when the embargo is lifted, and I expect this will be happening sooner rather than later, will a Cuba that survived decades of CIA plots be able to survive the invasion of Wal-Marts, iPods, and collectors willing to pay huge bucks for a cherry ‘55 Chevy Bel Air convertible? Time will tell…

No Comments »

Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief-of-staff to Colin Powell, on why the US badly needs a new policy towards Latin America and Cuba.

Whoever is the new president in January 2009, two things need to happen with regard to Latin America and Cuba. First, Cuba, never on the front burner, needs at least to be put on the stove. Second, U.S. relations with Latin America should be completely refurbished. And there is the connection: no more effective and swifter way exists to signal a new approach to Latin America than to effect a rapprochement with Cuba as the opening gambit. Mr./Madam President, over to you.

2 Comments »

Cuba has sent three fugitives back to the US for prosecution.

Now that Raul Castro is in charge, and in what is viewed as a new indicator of cooperation with U.S. law enforcement, Cuba has been handing over wanted Americans.

However, Cuba has not turned over Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur or rogue financier Robert Vesco.

No Comments »

From a PSL review of Sicko, on Michael Moore taking 9/11 rescue workers to Cuba after they were repeatedly denied treatment in the US.

Reggie Cervantes, who has suffered from a pulmonary condition since 9/11, purchases the same medicine for five cents that would cost $120 here.

The right wing has been quick to call the Cuba visit a cheap trick. They say the Cuban government just put on a show for Moore because a camera team from the United States was present. The rescue workers have asserted otherwise. Cervantes, who speaks Spanish, claims she snuck out of the hospital and readmitted herself to see if she would be treated differently as a Cuban off the street. She received the same treatment.

7 Comments »

(click image to view full-sized)

A Pastors for Peace US-Cuba Friendship bus caravan came to Hartford CT on Tuesday. This is their 18th caravan and they will be bringing literally tons of medicine and other needed supplies to Cuba in defiance of the embargo.

Father Luis Barrios spoke of the game played at the US / Mexico border. The buses converge in McAllen Texas, and all donations are then examined by caravan members to make sure counter-forces didn’t sneak in weapons or drugs in an attempt to get the caravan busted. Then, at 6 am usually, their dozens of buses cross the border at once. Sometimes border police, FBI, CIA, and sundry other law enforcement officials are there to greet them.

Crossing into Mexico usually isn’t too hard, it’s the coming back that can be tricky. US Customs routinely confiscates anything that came from Cuba; gifts, clothes, whatever. So, one year the Cuban government gave all the members of the caravan a present. They were Bibles, with the front covers saying Cuban Bible Society.

Pastors for Peace crossed the border back into the States. Then, as reporters watched, they loudly demanded the Bibles be confiscated and burned as per US regulations. This prompted frantic phone calls to Washington DC by Customs. “Destroy the Bibles!” said the Pastors. Finally, word came back from DC, don’t even think of confiscating the Bibles. The Pastors kept their Bibles and have gotten offers of $1000 each for “one of those Cuban Bibles.”

Another time, Customs blocked $2,000 worth of computers from crossing the US / Mexico border,. Months later they sent the Pastors a letter saying the computers would be destroyed and if they didn’t like it, they could sue. The Pastors replied, ok, we’ll sue. A few days later came the reply. Pick up your damn computers now. They did so, then called Cuba saying, what do we do with the computers? Cuba quickly replied, the Cuban People have requested they be given to the victims of Hurricane Katrina - and they were!

The Cuba blockade is yet another US atrocity. In November 2006, the UN voted 183-4 to condemn it. Even Cuban emigrants who oppose the revolution now often oppose the blockade because it hurts family and friends they have in Cuba.

Pastors for Peace, a steering committee member of the ANSWER Coalition, face possible imprisonment and huge fines for bringing needed supplies to Cuba. They deserve our support. Check their website to see if a caravan is coming to your city soon.

1 Comment »

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba lost over half its oil imports. They reorganized, went full-tilt green, and has survived surprisingly well. What Cuba did could become a model for the future, because not only is oil running out, the use of it contributes to global warming.

Cuba transitioned from large scale farming, with its heavy use of oil-based fertilizer and pesticides to small organic farms and urban gardens. Not only do they use vastly less oil now, their food is primarily organic and gthus much healthier!

The Community Solution has made a film about this, The Power of Community. How Cuba Survived Peak Oil.

Cuba has accomplished something we can all learn from, all we need to do is listen.

The Oil Drum links to a video about the movie.

2 Comments »

Three operations have failed. His death, it appears, could be near.

No Comments »

For lying, not for terrorism. And he could still walk. But this is still a welcome development, as it’s the first indictment inside the US for this self-admitted terrorist.

No Comments »

Gerry from Edinburgh blogs on his trip to Cuba. Lots of photos.

2 Comments »

This after the party was postponed for two weeks to give him more time to recover. He’s not been seen in public for four months and details of his illness have not been made public.

It’s becoming obvious Castro will not ever be back on the job and probably doesn’t have long to live. How the transition of power is handled is key to the stability of Cuba. The US will of course try to “bring democracy” there, and with an enfeebled leader, all sorts of currents and power plays are probably already occurring.

My guess: There will be major changes, but their socialist system will remain intact.

No Comments »

A $74-million program to encourage democracy in Cuba was beset with questionable spending that included purchases of computer gaming equipment, Godiva chocolates and cashmere sweaters.

Plus, 95% of the grants were awarded noncompetitively. Given such capitalist greed and incompetence, Cuba is in no imminent danger…

1 Comment »

Cuba is the only country in the world today that meets the criteria for sustainable development, according to a report from the World Wildlife Federation.

Yes, Cuba.

No Comments »

An anti-Castro militant now in a Texas jail warned the CIA months before the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that fellow exiles were planning such an attack, according to a newly released U.S. government document.

And wouldn’t you know, the CIA did nothing, and 73 innocents died when the plane blew up.

Oh wait, Posada worked for the CIA, didn’t he?

HT: IntoxiNation

No Comments »

The ‘journalists’ were paid by the US government to manufacture anti-Cuba stories. Hey, nice journalistic principles they have, don’t you think?

No Comments »

Luis Posada Carilles has boasted of blowing up a plane with innocents aboard. Now the U.S wants to free him, and thus, not extradite him to stand trial.

Take action!

No Comments »

Payments ranged from $15,000 to almost $175,000. Two have already been been fired. The payments came from the U.S. Office of Cuba Broadcasting who runs Radio and TV Marti.

But you can’t listen to Marti in the US, it’s illegal.

Their programming cannot be broadcast within the United States because of anti-propaganda laws.

The Miami Herald broke the story.

3 Comments »