Movement for Social Justice Condemns latest Illegal and Illegitimate Attacks by Trump Regime Against Cuba
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) of Trinidad and Tobago condemns in the strongest possible terms the actions of the Trump regime in the United States to intensify the economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba. In the past year, the Trump regime has not only reversed a number of the actions of the Obama administration but has implemented new measures that have made the blockade more draconian.
The most recent actions are to:
- Stop all US airlines from flying to airports in Cuba other than Havana; and
- Stop the leased to the Cuban airline, Cubana, of all airplanes that are owned by US companies. As a consequence of this Cubana does not have a sufficient fleet of airplanes and has been forced to terminate flights to a number of regional destinations.
These actions by the Trump regime are intended to restrict the entry into Cuba of tourists with objective of reducing Cuba’s earnings from tourism and thus causing the economy to be strangled. Other measures implemented by Trump include the activation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act. This Title (Section), although passed by the US Congress in 1996 has not been implemented as successive US Presidents have used their executive power to waive its implementation for continuing periods of six months. However, in January of this year, the Trump regime signalled its intention to discontinue this practice, thereby opening the door to persons taking action in US courts with respect to properties and investments in Cuba.
It is to be noted that the United Nations General Assembly has consistently determined that the unilateral action by the United States to impose an economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba is illegal and illegitimate. Indeed, apart from the United States and Israel every other nation in the international community has voted in support of Cuba’s Resolution at the UN for the blockade to be removed and has condemned the US for this violation of international law and norms of respect for national sovereignty.
The US has ignored this diplomatic isolation and has proceeded with its imperialist agenda of attempting to impose its hegemony on Cuba. This strategy has failed in the more than five decades of the blockade to defeat the Cuban Revolution and the spirit of the Cuban people. Just as those before him have failed, so too will Trump.
It is to be noted that the US Secretary of State in announcing the latest actions against Cuba stated that they are intended to “prevent revenue from reaching the Cuban regime that has been used to finance its ongoing repression of the Cuban people and its support for Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela”. This is a clear admission of the imperialist agenda of trying to create regime change in Cuba and Venezuela.
We reject Trump’s policy of regime change – whether it be in Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua or any other sovereign nation. We abhor the blockade of Cuba by the US which only causes the Cuban people to suffer hardship and which denies them access to food, medicines and other vitally needed goods. The blockade must be seen for what it is – an attack on humanity!
Instead of seeking to change Cuba, Trump would be well advised to address the facts of the United States – the country with the highest per capita prison population in the world, the majority of whom are people of colour; the huge inequality and systematic discrimination that characterise US society; the horrific treatment of immigrants and migrants seeking entry to the US. All of these deep seated and long existing problems in US society have been exacerbated since Trump’s election to the Presidency.
The MSJ says – end the blockade now! We stand in total solidarity with the Cuban people and the Cuban Revolution.
Movement for Social Justice
David Abdulah
Political Leader