OMNI
CUBA
ANTHOLOGY #13
US IMPERIALISM
MARCH 8,
2026
Compiled
by Dick Bennett
https://omnicenter.org/donate
What’s at Stake: “WILL CUBA SURVIVE? “
OMNI CUBA ANTHOLOGY #12, April 5, 2024
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2024/04/omni-cuba-anthology-12-april-5-2024.html
#11 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2022/11/omni-cuba-anthology-11-november-6-2022.html
#10
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2022/01/omni-cuba-newsletter-10-january-30-2022.html
#9.
http://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2021/10/omni-cuba-newsletter-9-october-24-2021.html
#8. https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2021/07/omni-cuba-newsletter-8-july-15-2021.html
CONTENTS CUBA #13
US
Imperial Aggression
“The
Long Crisis Of US Intervention.”
Hackbarth. Trump Preventing
Mexican Oil to Cuba.
Demuynck. Sixty years of US blockade.
Michael Smith.
US Economic “Asphyxiation.” “WILL CUBA
SURVIVE? “
Medea Benjamin. “Suffocating an Island. “
Johnstone. US Regime Changes. Power Outages.
Paul Hedreen. US Media Blames Communism
for Cuba’s Energy Problems, Not US Sanctions.
CUBA’S
RESISTANCE
Prashad. “The Cuban Revolution Holds Out against US
Imperialism.”
TeleSur. “Cuba has a self-sufficiency plan….”
mronline.org. “Solidarity or Submission.”
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA
“Jayapal Rips 'Cruel and
Failing' US Policy.”
Ben Norton. “US And Israel Oppose Entire World In UN Vote To End Cuba Blockade.”
“Brazil and Cuba Solidarity.”
Mexico Sends Aid.
Ann Wright Urges Travelers
to Visit Cuba.
Tricontinental
Conference for Solidarity with Cuba, 1966.
IFCO. Pastors for Peace.
International Brigades to
Cuba
International May Day Brigades
Venceremos Brigades
Documentary of Bay of Pigs invasion
fiasco
The People’s
Forum. “Nov 30: Honor Fidel's
Legacy.”
“Che
Guevara facts for kids.”
AND
MORE
TEXTS: CUBA ANTHOLOGY #13
US Imperial Global Aggression
Cuba’s Protests
And The Long Crisis Of US Intervention
By Ju-Hyun Park, The Real
News Network. Popular Resistance.org (4-19-24). Protests against shortages of food and fuel
in Cuba’s eastern provinces on March 18 brought the corporate media spotlight
back to the island, which is currently experiencing a major economic crisis.
True to form, much US reporting on the protests attempted to construct a
familiar narrative of Cuba as a failed state on the brink of collapse, with no
mention of the 62-year US blockade. This is particularly striking given how Cuba’s
current crisis is a direct outcome of the intensification of the blockade under
Trump—which President Biden has upheld throughout his term despite promises
to... -more-
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Michael Smith.
“WILL CUBA
SURVIVE? “ Counterpunch
(2-12-26). Once again facing economic asphyxiation by Washington. MEDEA
BENJAMIN. “Suffocating an Island. “ Counterpunch
(2-12-26). “You can’t imagine how it touches every
part of our lives.” |
Caitlin Johnstone. “The US Is Pushing So Many Regime Change Agendas It's Hard To Keep Up.”
|
6:23 AM (3 hours ago) |
It’s just incredible how quickly and aggressively the US is
advancing longstanding agendas of global conquest under the Trump
administration. Now they’re racing to take out Cuba.
The US president has signed an executive order to impose new tariffs on
countries which supply oil to Cuba, even indirectly, which is expected to
dramatically increase the pressure on the already struggling island nation.
This comes as Financial Times reports that “Cuba only has enough oil to last 15 to 20
days at current levels of demand and domestic production” after the US cut off
the supply from Venezuela and Mexico shelved a planned oil shipment. . . .
Drop Site
DropSiteNews
JUST
IN | President Trump has signed a sweeping executive order declaring Cuba an
"unusual and extraordinary threat" and authorizing broad new
sanctions, including punishing foreign countries that sell oil to the island,
even indirectly. The move comes as the Financial Times
Trump’s order itself contains the usual excuses we’ve come to
expect from the empire of propaganda and lies, with its authors babbling
without evidence about Hamas and Hezbollah and “transnational terrorist groups”
receiving support from Havana, thereby making this crushing act of siege
warfare a self-defense measure implemented in protection of the American
people.
We’re being asked to believe that Cuba is Hamas, so Washington
needs to strangle it to death in self-defense. The fact that the US has been
pursuing regime change in Cuba for generations, we are told, is merely a
coincidence.
The lies get dumber and dumber with each new imperial power
grab. It’s just insulting at this point. . . .
© 2026 Caitlin Johnstone PO Box 378, Mentone, 3194, Victoria,
Australia
“When lights go
out in Cuba, media blame communism—not U.S. sanctions.”
Editor.
mronline.org
For the last
six decades, Cuba has been on the receiving end of myriad sanctions by the
United States government. This blockade has proved devastating to human
life. Originally published: FAIR (Fairness &
Accuracy in Reporting) on November 4, 2024 by
Paul Hedreen (more
by FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting)(Posted Nov
07, 2024).
Empire, Imperialism,
Inequality,
State RepressionAmericas,
Cuba,
United StatesNewswire
Michael Galant (The Hill, 1/5/24): “Businesses and financial institutions,
including many from outside the United States, often elect to sever all
connections to Cuba rather than risk being sanctioned themselves for
association with ‘a sponsor of terror.’”
Cuba is in
the midst of an ongoing humanitarian crisis, and October’s widespread power
outages are only adding to the Cuban people’s troubles. For the last six
decades, Cuba has been on the receiving end of myriad sanctions by the
United States government. This blockade has proved devastating to human
life.
Reporting
on Cuba’s blackouts have either omitted or paid brief lip-service to the
effects of U.S. sanctions on the Cuban economy, and how those sanctions have
created the conditions for the crisis. Instead, media have focused on the
inefficient and authoritarian Communist government as the cause of the island’s
troubles. . . .
CUBA RESISTING US AGGRESSION
Vijay Prashad.
“The Cuban
Revolution holds out against U.S. imperialism.” Mronline.org (2-21-26).
Indian scholar
Vijay Prashad argues that the Cuban Revolution is now the frontline in the
fight against U.S. imperialism.
By Vijay Prashad (Posted Feb 20, 2026). Originally published: Peoples Dispatch on February 18, 2026 (more by Peoples Dispatch) |
Empire, Imperialism,
Inequality,
MovementsAmericas,
Cuba,
Latin America, United
StatesNewswireCuban
Revolution
This
article was produced by Globetrotter.
In January
2026, U.S. President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and
extraordinary threat” to U.S. security, a designation that allows the United
States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved
for national security adversaries. The U.S. blockade against Cuba began
in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, but has tightened over
the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council (which
permits sanctions under strict conditions) the United States has operated an illegal,
unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to
stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil.
The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any
country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.
On January
3, the United States attacked Venezuela and kidnapped President
Nicolás Maduro Moros and National Assembly deputy Cilia Flores. As 150 U.S.
military aircraft sat above Caracas, the United States informed the Venezuelan
government that if they did not concede to a list of demands, the U.S. would
essentially convert downtown Caracas to Gaza City. The remainder of the
government, with no leverage in the conversation, had to effectively make a
tactical compromise and accept the U.S. demands. One of these demands was that
Venezuela cease to export oil to Cuba. In 2025, Venezuela contributed about 34%
of Cuba’s total oil demand. With Venezuelan oil out of the picture in the short
run, Cuba already anticipated a serious problem.
But this
was not all. Mexico supplied 44% of Cuba’s imported crude oil in 2025. Pressure
now mounted from Washington on Mexico City to cease its oil exports to Cuba,
which would then mean that almost 80% of Cuba’s oil imports would disappear. In
a phone call between Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump, he claimed
that he told her to stop selling oil to Cuba, but she denied that, saying that
the two presidents only talked in broad terms about U.S.-Mexico relations.
Either way, the pressure on Mexico to stop its oil shipments has been
considerable. Sheinbaum has stressed that Mexico must be permitted to make
sovereign decisions and that the Mexican people will not buckle under U.S.
pressure. Cutting fuel to Cuba would cause a humanitarian crisis, Sheinbaum
said.
Trump’s
savage policy has effectively cut off much of Cuba’s oil imports, which has
created a major energy crisis on the island of eleven million people. . .
.
“Cuba Has A Self-Sufficiency Plan To Combat US Strangulation Attempt”
by TeleSur, Orinoco Tribune. Popular Resistance.org (2-8-26). The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel
Bermúdez, addressed the complex energy situation that the country is facing,
resulting from the tightening of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade
imposed by the United States. At a press conference on Thursday, February
5, he noted that the country has adopted a strategy to expand the use of its
own energy sources and rely less on imports. The president explained that
since December 3, when the US naval blockade against Venezuela began, Cuba has
not received a single drop of fuel, a situation that impacts public
health... -more-
“Solidarity or
submission.” Editor. Mronline.org (2-26).
Latin America would not be the same today
were it not for the Cuban people’s determination to defend their revolution and
their decision to chart their own way. But today, Cuba is in the White House’s
crosshairs.
Empire, Imperialism,
Inequality,
WarAmericas,
Cuba,
Mexico,
United StatesNewswireMexico-Cuba
Relations
Regarding assistance to Equador following an earthquake: “. . .it was the Cubans who were among the
first to arrive. While covering
the earthquake, I interviewed Col. Lázaro Herrera Hernández of the Cuban
Revolutionary Armed Forces, who told me a phrase that has become a political
maxim of mine: It is not
about providing what is left over, but sharing what we have.
Cuba,
the island country subjected to a brutal decades-long economic blockade, has
consistently been among the first to extend its hand in solidarity to peoples
of Latin America and the world and to share the little they have. Cuba occupies a special
place in the hearts of millions of people across this region not only for their
unconditional solidarity but also because of the example its people and their
Revolution set for us. Cuba showed us that imperialism was not invincible, that
we could stand tall and defeat Washington right here in our own
hemisphere.
This could
very well be the most decisive moment ever for the Cuban Revolution. . . . [More on Venezuela and Mexico.]
The
trouble is that conceding to imperialism in the short term puts Mexico at risk
over the long term. Trump’s vulgar form of imperialism is going to pick off
each country one by one if we do not unite immediately. . . .”
ASSISTING
CUBA
|
[VFP-all] “Jayapal Rips 'Cruel
and Failing' US Policy After Trump Says 'Cuba Is Gonna Fall'” by Julia
Conley. Common Dreams (March
6, 2026). |
Sat,
Mar 7, 1:11 AM (1 day ago) |
||
|
|
|||
Trump’s
threats against Cuba are “just a plain attempt to open up Cuban markets to his
billionaire buddies,” warned the Washington Democrat. https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-blockade-cuba
As
the Trump administration celebrates its broadly unpopular war on Iran—one in which an estimated 1,332 people have
been killed in the country, including nearly 200 children at
a girls’ school—US Rep. Pramila Jayapal noted that President Donald
Trump is still imposing a blockade on Cuba and
denounced his stated plan to take over the island. . . .
“Brazil
Cuba solidarity surge: 5 bold demands challenge U.S. energy blockade”
By teleSUR Desk (Posted Feb 18, 2026).
Originally
published: teleSUR English on February 14, 2026 (more by teleSUR English). Inequality, Movements, State Repression, StrategyAmericas, Brazil, Cuba, United StatesNewswireBrazil Solidarity, Cuba Solidarity, U.S. Energy Blockade
Brazil Cuba solidarity intensifies as unions and
social movements pressure Petrobras for urgent fuel shipments to Cuba amid
Trump’s fuel blockade threats, joining MST medicine drives for humanitarian
relief.
“Brazil: Workers, Social Movements Organize 'Oil For Cuba' Campaign” By The
Brazilian Federation of Oil Workers, Resumen English. Popular
Resistance.org (2-16-26). On Friday,
February 13, the FUP sent a letter to Petrobras’ Executive Board of Logistics,
Marketing, and Markets, requesting a meeting to discuss the possibility of
sending emergency fuel to Cuba. Social organizations, popular movements, and
oil workers are coordinating the Petróleo para Cuba (Oil for Cuba)
campaign to pressure the Brazilian government and Petrobras to send
emergency fuel to the Caribbean country, which is being suffocated by
additional sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. -more-
“US And Israel Oppose Entire World In UN Vote To End Cuba Blockade” By Ben
Norton, Geopolitical Economy. Popular Resistance.org (11-2-24). For the 32nd consecutive year, the entire
world voted at the UN General Assembly to demand an end to the illegal US
embargo against Cuba. The United States and Israel opposed the international
community in a vote of 187 to 2, on the resolution titled “Necessity of
ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United
States of America against Cuba”. Just one country abstained: Moldova, a former
Soviet republic that now has a pro-Western government that is seeking to join
the European Union and NATO. Ukraine did not vote. -more-
“Mexico says humanitarian aid to Cuba arrives amid U.S. sanctions.” Editor. mronline.org
(2-15-26).
Mexico
confirms the arrival of its first humanitarian aid shipment to Cuba, as 1,650
more tons of supplies await transport amid U.S. sanctions.
Originally published: Al Mayadeen on February 12, 2026 by News Sites (more by Al Mayadeen) (Posted Feb 14, 2026).
Movements, Political
Economy, State Repression, StrategyNewswire
The first of two humanitarian aid
shipments sent by Mexico to Cuba has arrived at its
destination, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. The assistance
was transported by the Mexican Navy as part of a broader relief effort aimed at
supporting the Caribbean nation.
On Sunday, Mexico dispatched two navy
logistics vessels carrying 897 tons of essential goods to the
island. The ministry added that an additional 1,650 tons of powdered milk and
beans are currently being prepared for future transport to Cuba. . . .
[VFP-all]
ANN WRIGHT:. “Now Is the Time to Travel
to Cuba! “ Gerry Condon via uark.onmicrosoft.com Tue, Feb 10, 2026.
Despite the warnings from the U.S. State
Department and Marco Rubio, now is the time for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba in
solidarity with the Cuban people Against the latest U.S. aggressions in the
Caribbean and Latin America.
https://peaceandplanetnews.org/this-is-the-time-to-go-to-cuba/
BOOK
LAUNCH: Tricontinental. Havana 1966.
People's Forum info@peoplesforum.org Feb 10, 2026.
|
33rd
Friendshipment Brigade
Since 1992, IFCO/Pastors for Peace has organized 31
Friendshipment Caravans to Cuba as challenges to the US government’s economic
blockade. These caravans have taken valuable humanitarian aid to Cuba but
more importantly have helped demonstrate to the Cuban people that they are not
alone and that they have allies even in the “belly of the beast” in the US.
Click
for 19th Int'l May Day Brigade APPLICATION
International May Day Brigade
The International May Day Brigade provides a unique opportunity
to meet and talk with Cuban workers, farmers and youth and to become better
armed to return home and counter Washington’s lies and attacks against the
revolution. Each year, the NNOC works
with ICAP (Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples) to lead the
US delegation on the International May Day Brigade.
Our brigadistas are of all different ages, backgrounds, and walks of life! We
give scholarships to help working-class US people travel to Cuba for the first
time.
We see the reality of the Cuban Revolution beyond US propaganda; build
solidarity with mass organizations, unions, and the Cuban people; and bring
back the truth about Cuba to the US to fight against the illegal, inhumane US
blockade.
Venceremos
Brigade
In 1969, a coalition of young people formed the Venceremos (“We
Shall Overcome”) Brigade, as a means of showing solidarity with the Cuban
Revolution by working side by side with Cuban workers and challenging U.S.
policies towards Cuba, including the economic blockade and our government’s ban
on travel to the island. The first Brigades participated in sugar harvests and
subsequent Brigades have done agricultural and construction work in many parts
of the island.
Information Coming Soon About
Additional Solidarity Brigades Including:
- Building Relations
with Cuban Labor – May Day 2026
- US Hands Off Cuba
Labor & Youth – May Day 2026
- NEW May Day in
Santiago de Cuba 2026 (download info doc)
- Witness for
Peace/Solidarity Collective 2026
- Proximity May Day 2025
- NEW CODE PINK May Day 2025
- Global Exchange
- African Awareness
Association
& More!
We support all travel that aligns
with the NNOC bylaws and core goals. Are we missing a solidarity brigade or
delegation?
Why Travel to Cuba?
Cuba, one of our closest neighbors, is just 90 miles from the
United States’ southern shore. It is a country rich in history and culture and
unique in many ways. Traveling responsibly and joyfully, you will gain insight
into that uniqueness. Your experience will dispel misconceptions and allow you
to see for yourself a land of beauty, both natural and human. Traveling
to Cuba in itself helps break down the barriers created by the US blockade and
sanctions meant to keep the US and Cuban people apart.
Traveling with an organization can show you a Cuba not open to
tourists on their own. We present information about travel that will foster a
genuine, mutually beneficial opportunity to learn and understand and that is
empowering to all who participate. All you need to do is bring an open mind,
engage in local customs and understand that despite economic and material
scarcity, generosity overflows. Come experience that generosity for yourself.
Brigades & Delegations:
- NNOC
International May Day Brigade
- Venceremos Brigade
- IFCO/Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan
- Building Relations with Cuban Labor May Day 2025
- Witness For Peace Solidarity Collective Delegations
- US Hands Off Cuba Youth & Labor – May Day 2025
- African
Awareness Association
- CODEPINK Cuba Trips
- Law4thePeople
Travel Providers:
- Marazul Tours
- Global
Exchange
- Altruvistas
- Proximity
Cuba
- Insight Cuba
- Cuba
Bicycle Tours
- Cuba Unbound
For Other Countries:
- Canadian Network on Cuba – Che Guevara Volunteer Work
Brigade
- Cuba
Solidarity Campaign Great Britain
- Cuba
Solidarity Forum Ireland
- Red Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Solidaridad con
Cuba
- El Comité de Solidaridad con Cuba (CSC) de Puerto Rico – la
Brigada Juan Rius Rivera
- Cubaforeningen i Norge
- Germany-Cuba Friendship Association
Documentary of Bay of Pigs invasion fiasco. PBS4, Ch.700, 10-4-25. “Reel South, Veritas.”
“Nov 30:
Honor Fidel's Legacy.” The
People's Forum <info@peoplesforum.org> 11-25-24.
Dear
Friend,
Join
us this week for a powerful evening of reflection and celebration as we
commemorate the life and legacy of Fidel Castro Ruz on the 8th anniversary of
his passing. A revolutionary leader who transformed Cuba and inspired
generations in the struggle for dignity, sovereignty, and independence, Fidel
is an example of a life devoted to the fight for socialism and the
emancipation of the oppressed. Join us to honor the enduring impact of
Fidel’s leadership on global movements for liberation.
The
program will include live music, poetry and words from Soberon Guzman,
Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations.
“Che Guevara facts for
kids.” Editor. mronline.org (7-21-25).
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (born 14 June 1928 – died 9
October 1967) was an Argentine revolutionary. He was a very important leader in
the Cuban Revolution. His famous picture has become a symbol of rebellion
around the world.
“The U.S.
blockade on Cuba.” Editor. mronline.org (6o-1-25).S
As workers and socialists, Cuba’s struggle is our struggle.
No, Marco
Rubio, Cuban doctors are not victims of ‘forced labor’.” Editor. mronline.org
(4-18-25).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants to end Cuba’s
international medical brigades, which have provided essential healthcare to
millions of people across the globe.
Biden Removes Cuba From List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism by Paul Burkett.
Popular
Resistance.org (1-16-25). United
States President Biden has announced that he will remove Cuba from the US’s
list of State Sponsors of Terrorism in his final days as President, reversing
Donald Trump’s addition of Cuba to the list in 2021. The Biden administration
said on Tuesday, January 14, that this move is meant to facilitate the release
of individuals detained in Cuba. “I transmit herewith a report to the Congress with
respect to the proposed recission of Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of
terrorism,” Biden announced. Countries are added to the US’s State Sponsors of
Terrorism list by the State Department that have allegedly... -more-
“Cuban Foreign Ministry Statement On Removing Island From State Sponsors
Of Terrorism List” By Ed Newman. Resumen English. Popular
Resistance.org (1-16-25). The
decision announced today by the United States corrects, in a very limited way,
aspects of a cruel and unjust policy. It is a correction that occurs now, on
the verge of a change of government, when it should have been carried out years
ago, as an elementary act of justice, without demanding anything in return and
without fabricating pretexts to justify inaction, if it was desired to act
correctly. In order to exclude Cuba from the arbitrary list of state sponsors
of terrorism, it should have been enough to recognize the truth, the total
absence of reasons for such a designation and the exemplary
performance... -more-
The World Once Again Votes To End The US Blockade Against Cuba
By People's
Dispatch. Popular Resistance.org (11-1-24). On October 30, the UN General Assembly once
again convened to debate and vote on a non-binding resolution to end the US
blockade against Cuba. This year, 187 countries voted in favor of the
resolution. The United States and Israel were the only countries to vote
against it, and only one country, Moldova, abstained. Cuba has presented the
resolution “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo
imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” every year since 1992
(except 2020). Every year it passes in an almost unanimous vote, showing the
international consensus. -more-
Nearly 600 Parliamentarians From 73 Countries Call On US To Take Cuba
Off “State Sponsor Of Terrorism” List By People's Dispatch. Popular Resistance.org (9-23-24). People of conscience across the world
continue to put pressure on the government of the United States to remove Cuba
from the “State Sponsor of Terrorism” list. This time, a group of nearly 600
parliamentarians from 73 different countries penned a joint letter condemning
the continued inclusion of Cuba on the list. The letter was coordinated and
published by the Progressive International (PI) on February 20. The lawmakers
are calling on their respective governments to “take immediate action to
advocate for [the designation’s] removal.” Cuba was added to the US’s list of
“State Sponsors of Terrorism”... -more-
123 Countries Do Not Believe Cuba Sponsors Terrorism
By Minrex, Resumen English. Popular
Resistance.org (8-4-24). A declaration
signed by 123 countries, issued from the United Nations Human Rights Council,
demands the United States remove Cuba from the List of States that allegedly
sponsor terrorism, the effects of which reinforce the economic, commercial and
financial blockade imposed by the US Government. The First Secretary of the
Party’s Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel
Bermúdez, expressed his gratitude through social networks for this expression
of support. Published in the Foreign Ministry of the Island, the document again
points out that the unjust accusation goes... -more-
Russia and Cuba, beyond warships
Editor.
mronline.org (6-16-24).
While the
international media only report on the arrival of a Russian naval detachment in
Cuba, relations between the Russian Federation and Cuba go much further and are
getting stronger.
“By, not
about, a leader in the Cuban revolution.”
Monthly Review Press press@monthlyreview.org via gmail.mcsv.net 1-14-23
[Contrast to US treatment of workers
($7.50 national minimum wage) and unions (undermining, blocking them) to Cuba’s
economic, cultural, and political workers’ parliaments and unions.
...new from Monthly Review Press
A RARE LOOK FROM INSIDE CUBA
"In
highlighting the little-known role of the Cuban working class during the
Special Period, Pedro Ross Leal has
produced a book essential to understanding the survival of revolutionary Cuba.” —Steve Cushion
How the
Workers’ Parliaments Saved the Cuban Revolution brings
us to the heart of one of the most precarious and transformational moments in
Cuba’s evolution. As the Soviet Union fell to pieces in the 1990s, Cuba managed
to evade the fate of its primary trading ally. How was this possible,
especially as Cuba endured relentless attacks from the capitalist behemoth
directly to its north? Not only did Cuba manage to evade collapse, it
maintained its high life expectancy, low infant mortality, and universal access
to health and education, preserving many of the gains of the revolution.
At the center of this collective effort were
lifelong revolutionaries like Pedro Ross, construction worker, literacy
educator, and labor activist. As head of Cuba’s labor federation throughout the
“Special Period,” Ross developed a nationwide series of “Labor Parliaments”
which turned the country into an immense school of economics and politics.
Singularly positioned to write this seminal account of those days, Ross has
given us a rare, moving, on-the-ground account of a society mobilized from
below, buttressing the Revolution when it was under maximum stress.
From The Introduction by
Chris Remington
...It was not
a question of repeating slogans from classic and historic Marxist
theoreticians. It was not a question of regurgitating readymade solutions from
different eras and different countries. It
was about exercising raw power in the workplaces, of applying the distilled
history of Cuban revolutionary experience over decades to tackling the issues
of the day. Immensely hard and frank
discussions in thousands of meetings in a period of just 45 days in Cuban workplaces
addressed collapsed production, absenteeism, critical shortages of electricity,
water, fuel, spare parts, transport, and housing. In addition there were the
questions of redeploying workers in failed enterprises, corruption and the
black market, currency reform, preserving national sovereignty and
independence, and upholding the core values of the Revolution—Education,
Health, Social Equality....
PART I: THE
PREPARATION
The first stage’s preparatory meetings were attended by more than 400,000
union leaders, five for each of the 80,000 grassroots union...What actions
could be taken to stimulate discipline and work morale? How can production be
increased and improved at lower cost? Where would it be necessary to reorganize
personnel? What policy would be followed with the surplus money in circulation?
What could be done to reduce or eliminate state subsidies...A fundamental
principle of the workers’ parliaments was that the workers are the owners.
Therefore, solutions should be based on labor consensus....
(Fidel) observed that because the enemy was working overtime to
discourage and demoralize our people, we had to raise their morale and
encourage their fighting spirit. “We
have demonstrated what many thought impossible, that after the collapse of the
Socialist Bloc and of the Soviet Union, almost four years later, here is Cuba,
the country they called [a Russian] satellite, now a heroic star ninety miles
from the United States." . . .
During those years, May Day celebrations brought hundreds of thousands of trade
union activists and leaders to Cuba, from all over the globe. They would fill
our squares to demonstrate their solidarity with Cuba and their condemnation of
the U.S. blockade....
Cuba
Anthologies: CUBA v. US EMPIRE
#12 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2024/04/omni-cuba-anthology-12-april-5-2024.html
#11 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2022/11/omni-cuba-anthology-11-november-6-2022.html
US Empire at War Throughout the
World: Attack on IRAN 2026
US/Israeli
War Iran #1 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/06/omni-israel-and-iran-anthology-1-june.html
#2
https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/06/omni-israel-and-iran-anthology-2-6-20-25.html
#3 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2025/06/omni-israel-and-iran-anthology-3-june.html
#4 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2026/02/omni-israel-and-us-v-iran-anthology-4.html
#5 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2026/03/omni-israel-and-us-v-iran-anthology-5.html
#6 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2026/03/omni-israel-and-us-v-iran-anthology-6.html
#7 https://jamesrichardbennett.blogspot.com/2026/03/omni-israel-and-us-v-iran-anthology-7.html
END CUBA
ANTHOLOGY #13
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