- cross-posted to:
- news@hexbear.net
- cross-posted to:
- news@hexbear.net
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Cubana de Aviacion flights to Buenos Aires were canceled because fuel suppliers in Argentina refused to serve the airline.
The companies have invoked “provisions of the United States blockade against Cuba” to not supply the aircraft of the Cuban state airline.
Additionally, this measure has affected other airlines contracted by Cubana de Aviacion, preventing them from fulfilling commitments to passengers.
This surprising decision took place despite the Cuban flights being approved by the Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC).
In response to this situation, the airline has decided to assist affected passengers in Cuba by sending them back on flights operated by other airlines connecting to Argentina. Other passengers will be eligible for a full refund of their airfare. ⠀
During the first quarter of 2024, the Cuban airline transported 3,221 passengers with an occupancy rate of 61 percent. The number of Argentine travelers to Cuba increased by 44 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 12,753 people.
I still never understood what Cuba actually did that makes the US sanction them to this day. As far as I can tell they were a neutral country actually leaning slightly in favour of the US right up until they were suddenly branded communist (in the soviet sense) and more or less pushed into Russias arms.
They are living proof that communism works. The capitalist global hegemon can’t have people knowing there are alternatives to the exploitation it relies on to keep itself going.
There’s a really good podcast season (2) from Blowback on the history of Cuba and why things are the way they are today. But essentially, it’s what another user posted below. It’s that communism existing is a threat to capitalist rule.
Here’s a link to the first episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QhgtGyW7ws173eENjddNT?si=FAeQSjG4QgyDOfS3TOOtUA
You haven’t heard of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
That was in response to the US placing similar missiles in Turkey and Italy and threatening the USSR in 1961.
I don’t see Russia putting an embargo on those two now 60 years later. Though ig that’s not a one-to-one comparison since Russia’s ruled by capitalists now.
I am not here arguing for or against sanctions. I am saying that there is a specific historical incident which is the current justification for the status quo.
This was 62 years ago, if just the crisis was the reason, it would be gone long ago, at least since 1991. No, the true reason is that thriving socialist state in a beret toss distance from USA would undermine US imperialism greatly. Remember that entire capitalism hinges on the propaganda that “socialism don’t work”, and while it demostrably do work, it’s always some far away so it can be propagandized and demonised to hell and back, so when they got one right beside them, they must sabotage it with all strenght.
It’s the threat of a good example right at the US’s borders. Even with the embargo, Cuba has free healthcare, housing, better LGBT rights, higher life expectancy, and a proper democracy unlike the US. A thriving Cuba might threaten the US capitalist class and force them to make concessions to the working-class, like the Scandanavian countries’ capitalist states had to for being near the USSR (though those have started being undone with the example overthrown).
And it’s not just sanctions, the embargo also prevents companies of other countries from trading with Cuba if they also do so with the US. Which the vast majority of them obviously have to if they want to survive competition.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
a proper democracy
the embargo
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Well Castro came to power via revolution in 1959, which pissed off the US, and started the push towards the Soviet Union. The nation also hosted Soviet nukes for a very brief time in 1962.
More detailed timeline found here, if you’re interested.
Cuba repossessed land that foreigners in the US (Florida) were making money off of so they could support their own people. The dispossessed Americans turned this into a voting issue and have had the US leadership by the balls over it since. Other countries in the region who want to suck up to the US uphold the embargo on their end as well. This keeps Cuba in a constant state of extreme poverty. It’s violence.