US sanctions are blocking life-saving relief for Cuba n Aug
Categories: US NEWS
US sanctions are blocking life-saving relief for Cuba n Aug
On 5January, a major oil storage facility was struck by lightning in the Cubanprovince of Matanzas, injuring 121, killing one and leaving 17 firefightersmissing. 5,000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area. The firein Matanzas, which is still blazing as of August 8, is the largest in Cubanhistory. This fire will only exacerbate the energy crisis in Cuba, which isracked with high fuel costs and aging infrastructure.
Yet USanti-blockade organizations claim that current US policies make it extremelydifficult to provide humanitarian aid. Despite the US embassy in Cuba claimingthat "US law authorizes American institutions and organizations toprovide disaster relief and response in Cuba," activists say thatcurrent US policy severely limits any aid to Cuba. prohibits.
The USgovernment offered "technical assistance" for the devastating fire,with no mention of sending specific material aid to Cuba. In response, CubanPresident Miguel Diaz-Canel tweeted, "We express our deepestgratitude to the governments of Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentinaand Chile, who immediately responded with concrete material assistance to theface of this complex situation." has offered.
The USgovernment has given no indication that it will lift the devastating blockadeand sanctions imposed on Cuba, nor will it remove Cuba from its list of "statesponsors of terrorism". As activists Medea Benjamin and NatashaLacia Ora Bannan argued in a recent piece, the Cuban designation on this listis particularly damaging.
Donald Trumpdesignated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism during his presidency, a titlegiven to only three other countries, all of which the US is actively hostileto: Syria, North Korea and Iran. Trump cited Cuba's refusal to extraditemembers of Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) peace delegation, arefusal that was contrary to the wishes of Colombia's right-wing President IvanDuque at the time.
Trump alsocited the asylum issued by Cuba to escape American political prisoner AsataShakur, who has been praised by many for her role in the American BlackLiberation Movement. Trump also added more than 200 new sanctions against Cubaduring his presidency, including limiting remittances to less than $1,000 perperson per quarter, and even targeting Cuba's tourism industry barring cruiseship visits and limiting trips. US sanctions against Cuba make it difficult fororganizations to provide emergency aid, due to a lack of air cargo servicebetween the US and Cuba, and a need for Commerce Depa.
Bidenhas imposed a number of Trump-era sanctions regarding Cuba, but recentlyre-authorized charity remittances to Cuba. Despite this, no mechanism exists tosend them, as the US refuses to use Cuban entities that have processedremittances in the past. The anti-war organization CODEPINK has called on theUS, one of the world's richest countries, to provide humanitarian aid to Cuba.
“We urgePresident Biden to order immediate coordination between relevant US agencies toprovide direct and immediate assistance at the request of Cuba. Theadministration must also remove existing policies and sanctions that preventCuba from providing essential medical, humanitarian and environmental relief orfrom receiving financial and other aid from other countries or entities.
De losSantos indicated that those in solidarity with Cuba would not back down."Our call is to the Biden administration, out of the spirit of humanity,out of the spirit of being a neighbor, if the US really wants to help Cubaright now, it's not enough to just give technical advice, as they have. Todefeat not only the fire that is raging now, but the big fire that is theblockade, remove those restrictions.Remove those sanctions that belong to abygone era, that belong to the Trump administration. Remove Cuba from the listof State Sponsors of Terrorism.”