The economic embargo and sanctions on the Cuban economy was first set by
the United States as a block and opposition to the encroaching Soviet Union
central capitalism planned economy. It was not the choice of the Cuban leaders
or their people to have the sanctions decades ago. However, the impact of the
sanctions had a devastating effect on the Cuban economy, which were for some
time during the Cold War offset by the USSR’s markets (85% trading partner),
but eventually after the collapse of the Berlin Wall Cuba was left to fend for
itself primarily through an extensive expansion on tourism.
Since the fall of the USSR Cuba has made many important economic
alliances, especially with countries in South America, such as Venezuela. These
economic ties, which was the export of services such as doctors and health
workers in exchange for desperately necessary commodities such as Oil, has kept
Cuba afloat for a number of years now. During this time Cuba has saw itself
rise, not economically, but politically: influencing political change in
countries such as Ecuador (Rafael Correa), Venezuela (Hugo Chavez), Bolivia
(Evo Morales), Brazil (Lula), Argentina (Nestor Kirchner), Uruguay (Tabare
Vazquez). Effectively, through Cuba’s perseverance against the US
and defeating the US foreign policy for regime change, it has been the
political weight that has influenced the political shift of South America
towards the left.
The place of Cuba in the political map of South America is a very
significant consideration because currently the United States is seeing an
important but small opportunity to make its long sought after political change
in the South. By admitting that the long drawn economic embargo on
Cuba has been ineffective in creating regime change, the US economy is hoping
to bring change by releasing its economic hounds: finance capital. One of the
first bargaining chips is the US oil, which is now selling at half its original
price a year ago, to compete with Venezuela: the supply of US shale oil and gas
is trying to undermine Venezuela’s economy, which has been the recent lifeline
for Cuba.
The US militarism, one of its largest pillars of power, has not been
effective in the middle-east in implementing foreign policy and has ground to a
halt. In South America as well as Cuba, the US army cannot create regime change
as it once did in Chile: this is the major change of tactic taking place.
However an important weapon in the arsenal still remains: the
economic pressure through market penetration.
Cuba is not a socialist country, however it does deliver on some of
socialism’s important socio-economic foundations such as Cuba’s healthcare
system that the World Health Organization calls “a model for the world”, or
Cuba’s education system that has one of the highest post-secondary education
graduates in the world and has been highly ranked consistently for many years.
With the flood of US finance capital entering the Cuban market, the Cuban
people must fight and defend their hard fought for rights and freedoms and their
standard of living.
One of the pioneering ideas that the Cuban revolution’s (despite its
large shortcomings as a socialist country) has taught the world is that even
with very short and limited resources, a communal share of the
country’s wealth, can result in a higher and more humane standard of living.
Chia Barsen
www.chiabarsen.com
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