The Scottish Socialist Party utterly condemns the criminal economic siege inflicted on Cuba and the Cuban people by the US government. The blockading of oil supplies and other necessities is designed to destroy the Cuban Government and force the Cuban people into giving up their hard won sovereignty. It is the culmination of 67 years of blockade, invasion and terrorism inflicted. It has not worked for 67 years; it will not work now.
Before the Revolution, Cuba was a de-facto colony of the United States. Its economy was controlled by American companies; its military government was headed by a corrupt US puppet, General Batista; it was under partial US military occupation through Washington’s control of Guantanamo Bay and a playground for rich American tourists in clubs and casinos controlled by the mafia. The Revolution swept all of this away and established the country’s first legitimate sovereign government. When that government turned to socialism it was seen as a great threat to US hegemony throughout the region and became Washington’s enemy number one. Their response was to wage a de-facto war against Cuba which continues to this day.
Yet Cuba continues to stand firm. The US wants to return to the situation prior to 1959 but can’t. They dare not launch a military assault to overthrow the government in Havana. Cuba’s armed forces are embedded in the state and will fight to the end. There is no credible opposition in Cuba so the US would have to airlift in an obviously puppet regime. If the Cuban government actually collapsed it would signify the collapse of the country resulting in hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing the Straits of Miami. Washington might want to “save” the Cuban people from socialism but not at the expense of them moving to America. Donald Trump says he wants a deal yet the only deal acceptable to the Cuban people means accepting Cuban sovereignty.
Cuba has always inspired worldwide solidarity. That solidarity is more necessary than ever.
The Scottish Socialist Party is unequivocal in its support for the Cuban Revolution and Cuba’s revolutionary government.
The SSP calls for:
- An end to the criminal blockade of Cuba and dialogue which recognises Cuban sovereignty and the Cuban government as the legitimate government of the country
- The British Government to follow the lead of most governments around the world condemn Washington’s actions
- The Scottish Government to express its solidarity with Cuba in line with the solidarity expressed by the STUC
- We condemn the media blackout of what has been happening; an example of their institutional bias against the Cuban Revolution
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that Cuba is a threat to US national security. It is. It’s an example to all the people of Latin America that even a small country can stand up to US threats and aggression and mark out an alternative direction for its people.
Solidarity with Cuba