Humanity owes Cuba: unilateral coercive measures and the politics of punishment - Abolish Capital!

### The true meaning of the US embargo imposed on Cuba How can one describe a situation where one country prevents another from establishing friendly relations or engaging in trade with other countries? How can one describe a situation where one country prevents another from buying or selling goods, including essential items such as medicine, spare parts, machinery, and energy products like oil and gas? How can one describe a country that forces another to struggle to ensure its citizens have access to basic social services such as healthcare, education, and water? How can one describe a country that becomes hostile when another country ensures its people have the right to land for production within their own territory? These questions, when posed without mentioning specific countries, are often answered easily and logically. However, the answers change dramatically when it is revealed that the country imposing these measures is the United States and the affected country is Cuba. For more than six decades the United States has maintained economic sanctions against Cuba, beginning in 1960 and formalized into a full trade embargo in 1962 under President John F. Kennedy. Earlier tensions intensified following the failed 1961 US orchestrated invasion at the Bay of Pigs. According to official Cuban government estimates presented annually to the United Nations, the economic damage caused by the embargo has exceeded USD 150 billion in cumulative losses when adjusted for inflation. Despite investing heavily in social services such as education and healthcare, Cuba like many countries in the Global South lacks the industrial capacity to produce all essential goods, including machinery, spare parts, and advanced medical equipment. Companies that trade with Cuba may face pressure and restrictions under US laws such as the Helms–Burton Act of 1996, which allows penalties against foreign firms dealing with nationalized Cuban property. This regulatory environment has contributed to infrastructure challenges, including constraints in power generation, fuel supply, and industrial modernization. These measures, critics argue, are intended to apply economic pressure on the Cuban government and population in order to encourage political change. US policymakers, however, unashamedly describe the policy as a tool to promote democratic reforms and human rights. Meanwhile, international opinion has remained largely critical of the embargo. Since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has passed annual resolutions calling for its termination [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/10/28/ten-lies-the-us-ambassador-told-the-un-about-the-blockade-on-cuba/], with overwhelming support from member states. ### Cuba’s “crimes” against the US Cuba’s first major “crime” in the eyes of Washington was reclaiming its economic sovereignty [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/03/14/cuba-is-where-the-broader-aspirations-of-the-us-elite-as-a-whole-intersect-why-the-us-wants-to-destroy-cuba/]. Following the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, the Cuban government introduced sweeping land reforms and nationalized major industries, including sugar plantations, utilities, and oil refineries. These policies affected large landowners and foreign corporations, many of which were based in the United States. The government offered compensation to affected companies, but disputes over valuation and payment methods led to prolonged tensions between the two countries. Despite the presence of large US corporations in Cuba before the revolution, inequality remained widespread. According to historical economic studies, rural poverty, illiteracy, and limited access to healthcare were common in the 1950s, particularly outside urban centers. In response, the revolutionary government launched major social programs, including a nationwide literacy campaign in 1961 that significantly reduced illiteracy rates within a year. Cuba’s second “crime” was asserting independence in matters of defense and foreign policy. During the Cold War, the Cuban government developed close relations with the Soviet Union and pursued security arrangements independent of US influence. These developments culminated in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the most dangerous confrontations of the Cold War era. From Washington’s perspective, these developments represented a strategic threat in the Western Hemisphere. Another “crime” attributed to Cuba was its commitment to internationalism. During the 1960s and 1970s, Cuban forces and advisors supported liberation movements in several African countries, including Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Zaire (DR Congo) and Guinea-Bissau. Historians widely recognize Cuban involvement in Angola as a decisive factor in the defeat of apartheid-aligned forces at the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale 1980s. In 1966 Cuba hosted the Tricontinental Conference in Havana, bringing together states liberation movements from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to coordinate anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles through international solidarity. Cuba’s solidarity diplomacy extended beyond military support. The country developed international medical programs that sent doctors and nurses to countries confronting public health emergencies. Cuban medical teams responded to crises including the Ebola and Zika outbreak in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, including in advanced European industrial powers like Italy. The World Health Organization has acknowledged the contribution of Cuban medical personnel in emergency response missions. ### Read more: Drawing lessons from the Cuban Revolution: organization, unity, and internationalism [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2025/10/19/drawing-lessons-from-the-cuban-revolution-organization-unity-and-internationalism/] By the 1986 Cuba had successfully eliminated Malaria within its borders and later shared public health expertise with partner countries, including Tanzania where Cuban experts co-operate with their Tanzanian counterparts a Bio-products factory that uses Cuban technology, the largest in Africa continent. These achievements demonstrated the potential of a public health system oriented toward universal access. Nevertheless, political tensions between Cuba and the United States persisted, with Washington maintaining sanctions and diplomatic pressure throughout successive administrations. ### A question for the Global South Africa and the Global South should not be tainted from these realities. Recent policy discussions in Washington under President Donald Trump included tightening sanctions on Cuba, reversing even tiny normalization measures introduced during the administration of Barack Obama. Energy supply remains a critical vulnerability for Cuba. Historically, oil imports from Venezuela have been essential to sustaining the country’s electricity system. Termination in shipments due to the US invasion of Venezuela and abduction of its President January 3, 2026, contributed to fuel shortages and extreme power outages in Cuba. Venezuelan oil imports were accounting for more than 40% of all Cuban oil imports. Only second to Mexico, which is also facing mounting pressure from occupiers of the Oval Office in Washington DC not to sell oil to Cuba. At the same time, the United States has encouraged governments hosting Cuban medical missions to review their agreements. Supporters of these missions emphasize their role in expanding healthcare access, particularly in underserved rural regions. Some of the government such as Jamaica has already bow to this pressure and issue official statement of not having intentions to renew contacts with Cuban government that would allow Cuban medical missions to continue operate in their countries. The broader issue therefore extends beyond bilateral relations between the United States and Cuba. Many nations in Africa and the Global South have benefited from Cuban solidarity in education, medicine, and liberation struggles. Thousands of African students have received scholarships to study medicine and engineering in Cuban universities over the past five decades. ### Read more: “This is our Moncada, our Bay of Pigs,” says young Cuban communist leader [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/03/19/this-is-our-moncada-our-bay-of-pigs-says-young-cuban-communist-leader/] Thus, this is moral, political, and historical obligation for the people of the Global South not just to be concerned but take full charge in tagging the efforts against imperialist coercion on Cuba. People’s Organizations have a crucial role to play. Solidarity does not depend solely on governments, which are largely captured by bourgeois interests submissive to the same force that is choking Cuba. People’s formations should raise awareness, write, speak, compose music, organize, and express support for the Cuban people. Africans share deep historical and cultural connections with Cuba. The island’s revolutionary experience has contributed to struggles for dignity, justice, and independence across the world. Recognizing this history requires more than words. It calls for solidarity with a nation that has long stood on the side of the oppressed despite immense external pressure. Humanity owes Cuba that much. The post Humanity owes Cuba: unilateral coercive measures and the politics of punishment [https://peoplesdispatch.org/2026/03/24/humanity-owes-cuba-unilateral-coercive-measures-and-the-politics-of-punishment/] appeared first on Peoples Dispatch [https://peoplesdispatch.org/]. — From Peoples Dispatch [https://peoplesdispatch.org/feed/] via This RSS Feed [https://peoplesdispatch.org/feed/].