The real reason Cubans are taking to the streets - TIM LOUIS

For the seventh day in a row, thousands of Cubans have taken to their streets to demonstrate. The Western media was very quick to frame their actions as demonstrations against socialism. These media portrayals could not be further from the truth.

For example, on July 14 the New York Times published an opinion piece by Dr. Javier Corrales, the chair of the political science department at Amherst College, with the headline “The Day Cubans Lost Their Fear.”

The headline is deceptive.

Cubans do not fear infant mortality. Their socialized medical care has achieved an infant mortality rate of 4.4 per 1,000 live births, one of the lowest in the entire Western hemisphere — achieved in spite of the extraordinarily cruel and economically devastating 60-year economic blockade of Cuba by Washington.

Cubans do not fear life expectancy. Their socialized medical care has achieved a life expectancy of 78.98 years, virtually equal to that of the USA –achieved in spite of the extraordinarily cruel and economically devastating 60-year economic blockade of Cuba by Washington.

Cubans do not fear adult literacy. Their socialized education system has achieved a literacy rate of 99.8%, one of the highest in the world — achieved in spite of the extraordinarily cruel and economically devastating 60-year economic blockade of Cuba by Washington.

Cubans do not fear their political system. Their National Assembly, whose 605 representatives are elected every five years, has the power to amend the Constitution; to pass, amend, and repeal laws; to debate and approve national plans for economic development, the State budget, credit and financial programs; and to set guidelines for domestic and foreign policies. Cuba’s 2019 updated Constitution, which now includes recognition of private property, was affirmed by 87% of the country’s voting public. This has been achieved in spite of the extraordinarily cruel and economically devastating 60-year economic blockade of Cuba by Washington.

In the Western Hemisphere, every night hundreds of thousands of children go to sleep on the street. Not one of them is a Cuban child.

In 2020, U.S. police officers murdered 81 unarmed individuals. 50 of them were people of colour. This never occurs in Cuba.

I could go on and on.

So, what is the NY Times referring to when it proclaims Cubans have lost their fear? It is not a loss of fear that motivated these demonstrations. These demonstrations were motivated by extreme and understandable frustration with the severe economic hardships endured every day as a direct result of Washington’s 60-year illegal economic blockade. It is the economic blockade that is causing anger to boil over.

The Cuban government could do away with socialism tomorrow at the stroke of the pen. It could privatize medicine immediately. It could choose not to divert what scarce resources it has into lowering infant mortality, raising life expectancy, and raising adult literacy. It could create a free market system. Dire economic hardships will persist unless the blockade is lifted.

If you feel for the Cuban demonstrators, I urge you to immediately write Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to demand that Washington immediately lift its 60-year barbaric economic blockade of Cuba.

You can write a letter to the Prime Minister at Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2, or fill in an online form. The Citizens for Public Justice website provides tips on what to write and other relevant advice as well as a sample letter.

On a related note, I’m starting a monthly online series — the inaugural event is an encore presentation celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Cuba’s awe-inspiring literacy campaign. It’s July 23 at 7pm — the series is called Fireside Film Night. More details are here: https://www.timlouis.ca/fireside/