No War on Cuba!

In 2024, during Donald Trump’s second presidential campaign, he promised to avoid “endless wars” and to be the “peace president.” And then, in his inaugural address, Trump said his administration’s success would be measured “not only by the battles we win, but also by the wars that we end, and perhaps most importantly, the wars that we never get into.”

However, here we are, immersed in a war with Iran, against a backdrop of an unsettling military invasion of Venezuela that resulted in the illegal kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, the continuation of the Russian war in Ukraine, and now,

the threat of a military invasion of Cuba.

In the April issue of the Retiree Advocate, I reported on the oil embargo the US has implemented on Cuba. Since January, only one oil tanker has reached Cuba. This has resulted in continued electricity blackouts ranging from 22 hours per day up to 36 continuous hours. Without gas and oil, there is no electricity. Universities and schools have all but closed down and workers cannot get to work, since there is little to no transportation. Without refrigeration, people must search for food every day to feed their families. Food cannot be brought into the cities because trucks have no gasoline, and garbage has gone uncollected, causing a public health crisis. More than 80% of Cuba’s water pumping equipment depends on electricity, and so, oftentimes, there is no water available.

One of the most serious and tragic outcomes of the long term US blockade and the recent oil crisis is the dismantling of the healthcare system that was, at one time, along with Cuba’s free education system, the pride of the country. Cuba had a healthcare system that rivaled developed countries’ systems. In 2019, at Havana’s William Soler Pediatric Hospital, over 10,000 operations a year were performed, and by 2025, that number was less than 2,000, according to Dr. Fernandez, a pediatrician at the hospital. Infant mortality has almost doubled due to the lack of nutritious food and prenatal vitamins for the mothers. Equipment and medications to treat low birth weight in infants are not available. Many women have decided not to have children, due to the difficult conditions now facing people in Cuba.

Earlier this year, Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights commented on US sanctions, “Policy goals cannot justify actions that in themselves violate human rights.” The suffering of the Cuban people is being manufactured by the US, and people are dying. Already over one million Cubans have left the island out of desperation, seeking better living and working conditions.

In response to the US’s illegal and genocidal war against Cuba, international and US communities have come together to form a broad coalition to condemn US policies towards Cuba. Last May, a campaign called “No War on Cuba,” was created by international brigades that went to Cuba during the May Day celebrations. Countries around the world have pledged to send material aid to Cuba, while US organizations are also continuing to raise money to send material aid and organize delegations. Over 150 people from the US are going to Cuba in August to celebrate Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday, bringing two charter airplanes filled with material aid.

Other organizations are doing advocacy work to pressure Congress to end the war. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal traveled to Cuba in May with Congressman Jonathan Jackson from Illinois and has been leading work within Congress to change US foreign policy towards Cuba.

The pretext for a US military invasion is being set. The recent charging of former Cuban President Raul Castro for alleged murders of four Cubans, who were continuously warned after invading Cuban airspace, and the misinformation that Cuba purchased 300 drones with the intent of bombing the US, are setting the stage for hostile actions from the US.

However, Cuban President Diaz Canel has stated that Cuba will exercise its right to defend its country and its national sovereignty, while offering to hold diplomatic talks.

Organizations around the world are preparing for US direct military action in Cuba. If you are interested in being part of a rapid response network, should the US militarily intervene in Cuba, please email womenandcuba. org. To find activities to participate in, please go to www.nowaroncuba.org.