As a result of the American financial sanctions and blockade, Cuba today has limited economic capabilities. The ability to import, export and carry on commerce within the world marketplace has been severely compromised. It is ordinary Cubans who suffer the most. Life is a daily struggle with lineups outside of stores for unavailable necessities. Most everything is in short supply and/or unaffordable. Today, largely because of President Trump, Cuba faces more sanctions than at any time in its revolutionary history. The U.S. is unrelenting in its efforts to destroy the Cuban economy and force regime change.
But Cuba must never accept American hostility as an excuse for complacency and must do everything to ensure that sanctions and suppression are not “viewed as grievances that substitute complacency and acceptance rather than a cause to become even more industrious.”
The question arises as to what initiatives can Cuba undertake to overcome the current malaise caused by America’s economic sanctions and blockade?
The answer may lie with two supportive countries, China and Russia. Both these countries have a special relationship with Cuba, and both are going through internal revolutionary change and are reshaping the world. Both are militarily and economically powerful countries with growing economies.
Both Russian and China are presently lending support to Cuba and may be agreeable to formulate with Cuba something akin to a revolutionary five-year plan to assist with infrastructure and social development. If Cuba were to make a potent appeal for their help in formulating and implementing well thought out plans to overcome the sanctions and provide Cuba a place unconstrained and free in the world economy.
Russian and China could extend financial support by underwriting loans from their respective financial institutions, such as the Asian and Eurasian development banks. Cuba presently has observer status with the EAEU and acceptance into this new economic formation could be extremely helpful.
China has been a world player in international joint venture infrastructure development projects and Russia is a world leader in nuclear power generation and food production. With Russian and Chinese support, Cuba could overcome its transportation and energy supply problems by sourcing clean energy with Russian technology in the form of small power generation plants and acquiring advanced Chinese transportation technology. China and Russia are at the forefront of implementing alternative financing to the US dollar and can, with BRICS, assist Cuba in breaking the US financial blockade designed to destroy the Cuban economy.
Cuba is among several countries that want to be a part of BRICS. Its acceptance would demonstrate BRICS as a force in assisting weaker developing economies.
Cuba itself has several advantages, with an educated, healthy, industrious population that has made huge revolutionary advances in selective fields. With the support of Russian and China in the making of a first five-year like plan, Cuba could embark on a new revolutionary development phase.
Whether Russia and China would engage with Cuba at this level is uncertain, but there are reasons to believe they would. From the success of Castro’s revolution the Soviet Union, now Russia has always, excluding the disastrous Yeltsin years, supported Cuba and vice versa. The Russian people feel close to Cubans. Communist China leadership already acknowledges fraternal ties to Cuba with both countries having Communist Party leadership. They, too, have a history of friendship.
Cuba is one of, if not the most-liked country in the world with its world-renowned internationalism. Supporting Cuba positively impacts the global south, including all countries that have experienced hindered development because of American imperialism.
Ron Brydes is a a working class political, environmental and peace activist, who took up writing upon retiring from working in industry as a engineering technologist.
