the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Sep 22, 2008
Cuba was struck by the hurricanes that recently swept through the Carribean, especially Gustav. Hurricane Gustav was the most violent hurricane in the past 50 years.
As in past hurricanes, the alarm system put in place by the Cuban state limited the number of victims. However, tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, as was much of the island’s infrastructure.
The Cuban government asked the U.S. government to lift the embargo it had imposed on Cuba for more than 40 years, in order to facilitate rescue efforts, bring in emergency food and import reconstruction materials. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave the cynical response of the Bush administration. She said that Cuba’s request was out of the question since Cuba has not yet engaged in an “irreversible process of democratic change.”
No one can deny the authoritarian nature of the Cuban regime. But such a concern is not what motivates the representatives of U.S. imperialism. Imperialism supports many dictatorial and corrupt regimes, from Latin America to Asia to Africa, responsible for numerous crimes against humanity. The real reason that the U.S. government denied Cuba’s request is that it still cannot tolerate Fidel Castro’s defiance. Ever since the overthrow of the dictator Batista by Castro 50 years ago, Cuba has refused to bow down to the demands of the U.S. government.
Condoleezza Rice is there to remind everyone of Washington’s tenacity, even when it means that thousands of Cubans must pay the consequences.