Cuba USA

Who violates human Rights in Cuba?

by Elier Ramírez Cañedo

source cubadebate

translation Cuba - Netwrok in Defense of Humanity

It is true that human rights are systematically violated in Cuba but not by the Government but by the United States that practices genocide against the Cuban people since 1962 when the economic, comercial and financial blockade was decreed to cause hunger and desperation in an attempt to overthrow the Revolutionary Government. The figures of economic damages are astronomical but human damages are incalculable and impossible to compensate.

Isn’t it the United States that violates the most basic human right when it prevents through the blockade the purchase of medicines to cure or alleviate the suffering of Cuban children with different illnesses?

Historically the subject of human rights has been used by different US administrations to attack the Cuban Revolution. Cuba had not been the only target of these attacks; any nation that does not comply with the minimum requirements of the dominant class of the United States euphemistically called as “national security” can qualify as transgressor of human rights.

Already in 1829 Bolivar warned that the United States seemed destined by providence to “plague America of misery in the name of freedom” and “democracy”. The United States has condemned many countries to exclusion, subversion, interventionism, coups and genocidal blockades even beyond our hemisphere.

Since the Carter administration the subject was used as the spearhead against Cuba reaching levels of virulence during the Reagan administration. At the time they cared little for the real violations of human rights by the bloody dictatorships in different parts of the world while those governments were faithful to the interests of the United States. This was especially so in the “fight against communism”. Surprisingly this was recently acknowledged – although softly – by the former secretary of State, Hillary Clinton: “The defense of democracy and human rights has been the heart of our world leadership for more than half a century. However we occasionally have been tolerant regarding those values for the benefit of strategic interests and security, and even morally supported anti communist dictators during the Cold War, with various results”. [1]

Perhaps we should point out that the situation has not changed much today; the double standards of the way the United States judges other nations for their treatment of human rights continues to follow the logic of the Cold War. It can only explain why the United States attacks Cuba and Venezuela and, however, is silent over the situations of human rights in countries that often kills journalists, where common graves cover hundreds of bodies, where political crimes have never produced an election to different institutions of power.

This leads to only one conclusion: the main concern of the United States is not human rights but its hegemony.

Cuba it is true is not perfect, despite the blockade and aggressions of the most powerful country in the world, has been one of the countries that has worked most to satisfy, and defend human rights. It couldn’t be another way when the essence of the revolution has always relied on its humanism and when this country has been guided by one of the great humanists of the 20th and 21st century: Fidel Castro.

The most protected human right in Cuba is the right to life. Few countries in the world have achieved the protection of its citizens as Cuba does when natural phenomenon occur, such as hurricanes. Few countries in the world do as Cuba does to acquire a medicine to save the life of a child whatever the cost.

Few countries in the world do what Cuba does to offer attention to the handicapped.

In spite of having to swim against the current of the world hegemonic powers Cuba has achieved standards equivalent to the first world in terms of life expectancy, reduction of child deaths and infant malnutrition The democratization of access to culture is also one of the great conquests of the Revolution, This has been acknowledged by many international institutions and Cuba is one of the countries that dedicates more of its budget to health, education, culture, science and sports. Pope Francisco during his visit to Santiago de Cuba expressed the true meaning of this conduct: “A people who cares for its grandparents and young persons has the future assured.”

But Cuba has not only shown what it achieved in terms of human rights inside its borders but by the expansion of solidarity to those fundamental human rights in other countries that needed help.

The hundreds of Cuban doctors who went to Africa to confront the epidemic of Ebola are a beautiful expression of that solidarity and moral reserves of this country.

Referring to civil and political rights it must be said that never has there been a government that has advanced most in these rights since its triumph in1959. For Cuba the challenge has always been, as Cintio Vitier said once, to constitute a parliament in a trench. That cannot ever be lost from sight.

Never have the models to compare Cuba are what they call representative democracy of the bourgeoisie. This model already existed in Cuba and it was a complete failure. In contrast to those systems that intend to push Cuba the fundamental lever that moves the Cuban political system has never been money or lobbies of interest nor ends when elections are concluded. What occurred is a popular discussion of the guidelines of the economic and social policy of the revolution approved in the last Congress of the Cuban Communist Party that demonstrates the strength of our democracy. There is already talk of revising our electoral law and our constitution and I am sure that our political system will continue to improve in increased the levels of participation of the people in taking decisions and putting in practice and control of these decisions.

It is true that in Cuba human rights are systematically violated but not by the government of the island but by the Government of the United States that has committed genocide against the Cuban people since 1962 when the economic, commercial and financial blockade was passed to create hunger, desperation and the overthrow of the Revolutionary Government.

The figures of the economic damages are astronomical but human damages are incalculable and impossible to compensate. Isn’t the United State government violating the most elemental human right to life through its blockade that Cuba is forced to purchase medicines to save or alleviate the suffering of a child in far away markets. President Obama has declared himself to be against the blockade and has asked the US Congress to begin the process of discussion to achieve its elimination. However while the blockade exists until the last minute the United States government is violating human rights in Cuba.

However there is one positive element. For the first time in the history, Cuba and the United States are sitting down to discuss, under equal conditions, the subject. Although certainly most of the agreements are a dossier of disagreements.

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