The World as Seen from Cuba

article from April 19, 2012

By Jamie Douglas

Cuba is going to be a very wealthy nation, once the economic blockade is lifted. In 2010 alone, over a half a billion US dollars have been confiscated (stolen?) by Washington and its Caribbean lackeys.

This amount is certified by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, which still refers to the island nation as a “state sponsor of terrorism.” But when it comes to state sponsored terrorism, it is the United States that has repeatedly supported terrorist organizations that have served its goals. Surely, we all remember the ill-fated Bay of Pigs Invasion, carried out by incompetent minions of the CIA, who are still hanging around the cafés of Miami’s Calle Ocho, reliving their massive failure. It’s very similar to the Argentineans celebrating their ass-kicking at the hands of the British in the Falkland Islands. They are all such heroes!

The biggest heroes of them all are two mass murderers who have been given sanctuary in the United States: Luis Posada Carriles and the now deceased Orlando Bosch. And of course, the CIA has equally dirty hands in the matter that brought down Cubana Airlines Flight 455, a DC-8 that exploded midair by means of a bomb that was disguised as a shipment of Colgate toothpaste but was in reality plastic explosives. The CIA was aware of the impending terrorist action, but never informed the Cuban government via the Swiss Embassy. Some of the perpetrators were tried in Venezuela but were allowed to escape in 1985. The entire operation was so badly bungled that it had the hand prints of the CIA and the veterans of the Bay of Pigs all over it. They did succeed in blowing up the airplane, which carried the entire Cuban fencing team that had just won all the medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games.

Last week (April 13, 2012) also had Raúl Castro hosting the presidents and ministers of state of several Latin American nations, including President Felipe Calderón of Mexico. During their meeting, the future prospects of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, an alternative to the US-dominated Organization of American States, were discussed. The United States’ objection to Cuba’s presence at any OAS function, despite its membership in the organization, was a key issue at the recent Summit of the Americas. So, slowly but surely the nations of the hemisphere, minus Canada and the United States, are building their own organization, with China reaping the most benefits.

I had much greater hopes for President Barack Obama reaching out to our neighbors in the hemisphere. But this being an election year and Florida being an important swing state (who could forget the 2000 fiasco), he must pander to the vociferous Cuban exile community there.

As for the population of Cuba, they are doing OK. They would love to do better. But on February 3, 1962, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, with Proclamation 3447, turned Cuba into the USA’s redheaded stepchild. A year and a half later he was dead – shot by unknown assassins. Fifty years later the Castro brothers are still in power, and the USA still has not learned anything about their yanqui arrogance. China has become the dominant trading power in the hemisphere, and they own trillions of dollars worth of the USA. Will the lights ever come on, or will the United States keep blundering through the dark swamp for another 50 years?

Jamie Douglas

San Rafael, Mendoza

Having a Havana Club Gold

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