Solidarity with Cuba and Haiti
Speech given by Anti-War Committee member Tracy Molm on July 29, 2021.
Cuba is a beacon to all people trying to forge a path free from U.S. intervention and imperialism. The Cuban government prioritizes the needs of the people over profits for the very few. Despite decades of a brutal blockade Cuba has thrived, providing health care, education and assistance to all their people. Despite the Cuban government showing no aggression to the U.S., the U.S. is again saber rattling, threatening Cuba with military intervention. Why then would the U.S. threaten the Cuban government and people, and maintain a blockade against Cuba? Simple: the U.S. government is threatened by Cuba’s independence and Cuba’s support for other independent countries trying also to break free of U.S. interference.
In Spring of 2019 I visited Venezuela and saw first hand what US sanctions and intervention look like. In Venezuela U.S. sanctions have caused incredible inflation and shortages, but despite this the Venezuelan government continues to prioritize assistance to those most in need. They’ve built millions of homes for the poorest Venezuelans, provide food assistance for nearly 80% of the population, and provide free education for all. Venezuela also provides universal health care with Cuban doctors playing an integral part in making medicine possible for millions of Venezuelans living in rural parts of Venezuela. Cuban medical support has not been confined to Venezuela, being extended to countries in need throughout the world, mostly notably at this time, Haiti.
I also witnessed first hand what a U.S. sponsored coup looks like. The U.S. backed Juan Guaido attempted to unite right forces to overthrow democratically elected Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. government has been using this tactic for many decades, so it’s not a surprise that Colombian paramilitary forces, likely trained at the U.S. School of the Americas, are the murderers of Haitian President Jovenel Moise and now this assassination is being used as a pretext for potentially sending U.S. troops to Haiti.
Cuba has continued to stand with Venezuela despite threats and additional sanctions from the U.S. government for taking this stance. These most recent threats show how much the U.S. government wants to extinguish the extraordinary accomplishments and socialist model that Cuba is providing the world.
We need to send a clear message that the U.S. has no place policing the rest of the world. As we stand on stolen land, and as people rise up against police brutality and murders in our communities we need to expose this hypocrisy – the U.S. government has no moral high ground to police other parts of the globe or try to impose its will on the people of the world. We must stand with the people of Cuba and the people of Haiti as they work to build and continue their own path free from U.S. intervention.
When Cuba is under attack, what do we do? Stand up; Fight back!
When Haiti is under attack, what do we do? Stand up; Fight back!