The US energy blockade of Cuba has a strong impact on the people of this nation, already aggravated by coercive economic, commercial and financial actions for 64 years, which was only commemorated on February 7.
Added to this is the order to consider Cuba as an unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States Government, recently signed by President Donald Trump.
“It is a manual that they are replicating, but that at this moment represents the extension of that cruel and brutal genocide. An economic, financial, commercial blockade, which represents the precariousness of human life,” denounced Penelope Alsina, member of the National Coordination of the Cuba and Venezuela Mutual Friendship and Solidarity Movement during a visit to Últimas Noticias.
He warned that these types of measures prevent the development of the normal life of the Cuban population. They also hinder activities in health and education, to name two examples.
“The entire planet recognizes the achievements that Cuba has in these areas, it is not only the extraordinary quality training that professionals in Cuba have, but they train boys and girls from any part of the planet in health, for example, with the Latin American School of Medicine,” he exclaimed.
The restrictive measures against Cuba prevent the vaccines they developed during the Covid era from being marketed to other nations.
“You cannot trade for this type of vaccines or many other innovations because everything that comes from Cuba has some type of restriction to be able to place it in another country. The responsibility that the Republic of Cuba has with its population is increasingly limited with this inhuman, unfair, cruel blockade,” he said.
He highlighted that these coercive actions against the island are deepening, such as the case of including this country on the list of nations that promote terrorism.
“It is shameless to place a country like Cuba on that list, which also has some implications, when the people are being subjected to rigor,” he said.
The recent energy blockade imposed to prevent access to fuel and oil has caused problems with transportation or tourism, one of the island’s main sources of income.
“They completely change life for an entire town. The electrical issue, if you cannot renovate facilities that are years old because you have a blockage that prevents you from having parts to keep them active, what is going to happen is that at some point that is going to collapse. So, that national electrical system does not provide enough electricity, that generates problems in the food preservation chains; people who are dependent on electricity for health reasons, such as respirators. It is a super complex reality, that is why we talk of genocide. You are generating a state of national commotion,” he warned.
Example of dignity
Alsina highlighted that in response to the comments of people who are happy about the situation that Cuba is facing, its people respond in a dignified manner.
“The advantage of the Cuban people is that since they know where all these situations come from, they go back above that and you hear statements from people saying: here we have to resist. They are not afraid! That is a demonstration of dignity,” he highlighted.
He pointed out the problems it generates in the case of pediatric oncology patients in Cuba.
“They had 80 percent of survival cases in the chamos and this has been reduced to 65 percent, due to current conditions. You have to be moved, even if you are a person with courage,” he comments.
He considered that these attacks by the US Government are due to decisions of force, the geostrategically place that the island has in the Caribbean and the symbol of dignity that Cuba has been for so many years.
“In this year of the centenary of Fidel Castro (who was born on August 13, 1926) this goal of transformation towards a more just society, a more humane way of treating people, is maintained, but there is another part, that explicit barbarism that the US Government represents at this moment, which what it wants is to disappear an entire people. We know that they are not going to achieve it,” he stressed.
For just causes
He explained that the Cuba and Venezuela Mutual Solidarity Movement has been doing dissemination work on the reality of both peoples for 21 years.
He reported that on February 7 there was a meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Network of Solidarity with Cuba and Just Causes.
“30 countries were present at the assembly, but on the network there are countries from Latin America and the Caribbean (…) The name is a bit long but it is worth saying it in all its letters.”
He indicated that this network plans actions in agreement with all the countries that participate in this initiative, which will consist of carrying out a particular activity in different capitals or cities around the world.
“Whether it be a mobilization, caravan, painting of murals, statement to the media. That is, on the same day, at the same time, doing the same type of action,” he explained.
This specific measure was born from the Latin American and Caribbean Network and will be discussed with other components of this solidarity network in the rest of the world.
He recalled that between October 2024 and January 2025, the 100 bolivars for Cuba, love with love is paid, campaign was carried out, through which several tons of food were sent to the island.
They plan to expand the actions of this movement with the addition of more collaborators, especially young people.
“We have been calling for youth associations. The young people of Barrio Adentro, of the Robert Serra Mission, for social organizations, political parties and boys who perhaps are not linked to any party,” he indicated.
As an example, he recalled an event aimed at youth that consisted of taking the route of the Cuban intellectual José Martí in Venezuela, going up from La Guaira through the mountains to Plaza Bolívar in Caracas.
They demand release of Maduro
One of the decisions of the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Network of Solidarity with Cuba and Just Causes is to join the campaign to demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who remain kidnapped in the United States. “For us it is crucial because we are talking about mutual solidarity. Let us not lose sight of the fact that on January 3, in addition to suffering a direct military attack and the kidnapping of the presidential couple, 32 Cuban heroes fell in combat here. This dedication of those men who on Venezuelan soil have given their lives to protect our President, is something that connects us more than ever, which is why this insistence is very significant.”
