Recent news has me feeling rather optimistic about Cuba’s near future. First, there was the news of Swiss banks stopping all transactions with the Cuban government. Then there was this about French exporters demanding Cuba pay for goods. And then there was the news that the European Union was to send representatives to Cuba to deliver an award to the Ladies in White.
Could it be that Europe’s patience and acquiescence with Cuba is running out? I don’t know for sure, but it’s good to see Europeans taking action against the regime. Perhaps fidel’s imminent death is beginning to embolden once-enablers of the Cuban government. fidel’s aura will no longer permeate everything involving Cuba. Perhaps the rest of the world will begin to see the Cuban regime for what it truly is, and has always been.
Most importantly, however, perhaps fidel’s death will embolden those in Cuba who have held back and repressed their disgust for the state of the country. Perhaps this will happen within upper levels of the government.
All this is just mere speculation and wishful thinking on my part. But Val’s post right below this one suggests that I may not be too far off the mark.
Robert, why else do you think we are seeing this big Cuban propaganda counteroffensive about the embargo? We’re in the bottom of the ninth up by a run with two outs and they are trying to do anything to keep the game alive. But it’s over. I can’t believe that people that comment on this blog are still advocating for giving this decrepit regime the “free pass”.
Conductor,
I trust you are correct, and we are in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and nobody on. But, how do you see current efforts against the embargo to be any different from the efforts of the last few years?
I might have missed something, but I don’t sense any greater “urgency” in the Cuban counter-embargo efforts.
I think the difference is not in the number or urgency counter-embargo efforts, those will always be present as evidenced by the recent UN vote. The difference appears to be n the denouncements and rejections of the castro regime by entities which have reliably either been pro-regime or soft on sanctions.
As I indicated, the wild card here is what will happen inside Cuba once the bearded bastard croaks. There are indeed two outs in the ninth, but the ball is in the hands of the Cuban people. Let’s hope they throw nothing but strikes.
Even here, in ultraliberal Austin, the local rag blasts the UN for voting against the Australian amendment. A reprint from the Miami Herald, granted, but for once, an anti-Cuba comment passed editorial muster.
I don’t have any empirical data on the assault on the embargo but as someone who reads a lot of stuff about Cuba I feel like there have been more anti-embargo columns and initiatives like ENCASA in the past few months than previously. As castro runs out of economic lifelines removal of the embargo becomes paramount. What would happen if Chavez were to actually lose the election or be deposed in the post election period? You’re gonna have to put the Hurricane shutters up to stop the ant-embargo BS from flying into your house.
Also there’s a lot of pressure to remove the embargo BEFORE castro dies, which I don’t get (if you are against the embargo you’d have to admit that at this point it can’t hurt anything to wait and see if the successor will be willing to give something up to have embargo lowered).
And Louis, the Australian amendment was a masterstroke which took the wind out of the propaganda sails even if it didn’t pass.
solo creo que como saben que el “castrado” esta al irse pa’l infierno,ahora toda esa pila de hipocritas europeos,quieren hacerse los “anticastristas”,y “justicieros,lo que nunca hicieron cuando castro estaba vivo,lo quieren hacer ahora que el castrado esta listo pa’irse pa’l infierno,es politiqueria barata,y muy clasica europea…cojiendo posiciones de “buenos democratas” pa’estar de primeros en la fila cuando haya un cambio en cuba..es todo..