Cuba's placement on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list has led to damaging consequences
BY MICHAEL GALANT, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 01/05/24 12:00 PM ET
Three years ago this month, as a parting shot mere days before leaving office, Donald Trump placed Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list, triggering a range of new sanctions against the island nation. Last month, members of Congress were left “furious” after learning that, despite assurances otherwise, President Biden has not even started the process of reviewing that decision.
Cuba’s SSOT designation was callous and unjustifiable when it was instituted to great dismay by President Trump. It is even more callous and unjustifiable today, as Cuba suffers the worst economic and humanitarian crisis in its contemporary history, largely as a result of U.S. policy.
The U.S. embargo of Cuba has been in place for over 60 years. In that time, its primary effect has been the immiseration of the Cuban people. U.S. sanctions have starved the Cuban economy of over $130 billion; hindered civilian access to essential goods like food, fuel and medicine; exacerbated hunger and poverty; and systematically undermined fundamental human rights. The evidence that broad economic sanctions harm civilians in targeted countries is overwhelming. Indeed, that is arguably the intent.
In 2014, President Obama broke with a half-century of systematic hostility, taking small but meaningful steps to thaw diplomatic relations and provide a measure of relief for the sanctions-starved Cuban economy, including removing the SSOT designation that President Reagan had imposed in the depths of the Cold War. While Trump took a wrecking ball to these fragile advances, many Cubans and Americans alike saw Biden’s election as a chance to return to the path laid by his former running mate.
More:
https://thehill.com/opinion/4390641-cubas-placement-on-the-state-sponsor-of-terrorism-list-has-lead-to-damaging-consequences/
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The USA has an information blackout regarding what is actually going on in Cuba. Instead, we get dis/misinformation put forth by parties with financial interests and US political interests.
Here is a short list. There are more, but, many are very small because they espouse more privatization and don't gain any traction in Cuban politics.
* Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) {Communist Party of Cuba}
* Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Cuba (PDC) {Christian Democratic Party of Cuba} - Oswaldo Paya's Catholic party
* Partido Solidaridad Democrática (PSD) {Democratic Solidarity Party}
* Partido Social Revolucionario Democrático Cubano {Cuban Social Revolutionary Democratic Party}
* Coordinadora Social Demócrata de Cuba (CSDC) {Social Democratic Coordination of Cuba}
* Unión Liberal Cubana {Cuban Liberal Union}
http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/cu.html
I lived in Cuba. Many in my family still do. I have and they have attended nomination caucuses, witnessed elections, and ratification of elected candidates.
Have you? (Just asking politely, because you're stating something as fact that is false.)
I didnt know Cuba had elections!
I guess that doesnt get mentioned in our media.
I am a Cuban born Cuban-American, and not a GOP voting, tRump-humping rightwinger as many assume of all Cuban-Americans in S Florida.
The US's inhumane extraterritorial sanctions on Cuba and collective punishment of Cubans have always been bipartisan.
President Obama made some inroads for a path to normalization, but, Herr tRump pissed on that and his fascist minions put Cuba back on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list w/o any substantive evidence ... but ... tRump policy still is in place.
President Biden has not changed it. Why? Does he really think that Cuban-American tRump humpers will vote for him when they have the exact same policy?
PLUS, not all Cuban-Americans are tRump humpers, in recent Bendixen polling about 50% expose normalization with Cuba so their families at home can live better lives - they understand the impacts of the US's extraterritorial sanctions on their families - most of whom were born after the 1959 Revolution.
Why do Democrats ignore this demographic, but instead pander to the worst RW Cuban "exile" diaspora? It makes zero sense.
Now, Miami-Dade is a red county - making Florida a Red State now. Pandering to the RW Cuban and Venezuelan "exiles" has really backfired, imo.