DDC Forum: For the Cuba of Tomorrow

Criticisms of the Recent U.N. General Assembly Resolution Against the U.S. Embargo of Cuba

As discussed in a previous blog post, on October 30, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly passed Cuba’s resolution condemning the U.S. embargo pf the island (187 to 2 with 4 abstentions).The U.S. and Israel again voted against the resolution while the abstentions came from Moldova, Ukraine, Somalia and Venezuela.[1]

Here now is a summary of some of the criticism of that resolution.

U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council ‘s Criticism of the Resolution[2]

The U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, a private U.S. business group, stated that this U.N. resolution “will not fix Cuba, nor will it force others to fix it.” This is because “the Government of Cuba [does] not take advantage of, and actively do so, all commercial, cultural, economic, financial and political opportunities with the United States that are authorized by the policies, regulations and statutes implemented by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the United States Department of Commerce, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury and the Department of State.”[3]

According to this Council, Cuba repeatedly and falsely claims that “the economic blockade and the aggression against the Cuban economy have not changed” since the end of the Trump-Pence Administration (2017-2021), [and] since the sanctions . . .have been “faithfully applied by the Biden Administration.”

However, the U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council says, “in 2016, the importation of coffee from Cuba into the United States was authorized for the first time. Since 2016, Cuban health care products (medicines) have been imported into the United States for evaluation. In 2017, the importation of charcoal from Cuba into the United States was authorized for the first time. New York-based Nespresso USA Inc., a subsidiary of Lausanne, Switzerland-based Nestlé SA, exports products to the United States and imports products from the Republic of Cuba.”

This Council also states the “in 2001 Cuba made its first purchase of U.S. agricultural and food products ($4.8 million). In the subsequent 23 years, “Cuba is ranked each year among the top 60 export markets for U.S. agricultural and food products out of the 220 commercial destinations that the US has for these items.”

In addition, “starting in 2015, there were companies based in the United States that made commitments to the Republic of Cuba” despite the fact that “they had claims certified by the United States Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (USFCSC)” derived from the confiscations of American companies undertaken by Fidel Castro.”

“There are 8,821 [such] claims, of which 5,913 seek compensation valued at $1,902,202,284.95, which were certified by the USFCSC and have not been resolved for more than 60 years. (…) The Government of Cuba [has] had the opportunity to provide some claimants with certificates of full or partial settlements, at a low cost to their pockets.”

“During the Obama-Biden Administration, some of the highest-profile certified claimants had engaged with the Cuban market. The proceeds earned in Cuba by these claimants would have easily provided funding not only for the original value of the certified claim, but also for the interest value.”

“Had that small number of certified claimants resolved their claims against the Government of Cuba, the result would have been a substantial increase in interest from U.S.-based companies.”

“The Cuban government’s decision to ignore these pleas was the commercial equivalent of self-flagellation. The conclusion was then, and remains today, that the Cuban government would rather see its people suffer.”

“On May 10, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration instructed OFAC to issue the first license authorizing direct investment and direct financing to a private company located in Cuba owned by a Cuban national. More than two years later, the Government of Cuba has still not published regulations for the provision of investment and financing. (…) The Government of Cuba is carrying out collective punishment of its businessmen,”

“Recently, the Díaz-Canel-Valdés Mesa Administration prohibited private Cuban companies from maintaining commercial bank accounts in the United States, which [were] recently authorized by the Biden-Harris Administration.”

“The Cuban government had the means, the motive, and the opportunity during the Obama-Biden and Biden-Harris Administrations to create a broad and deep commercial, economic, and financial landscape across the country, from Havana to Santiago de Cuba. But they were painfully squandered.”

Moreover, the Cuban government has taken many actions aimed at “antagonizing the White House and the United States Congress.” These include ““engaging with and supporting China, Iran, North Korea, Russia;”; “criticizing Israel;” “supporting (or failing to condemn) Hezbollah and Hamas”; “failing to strongly support Ukraine”; “allowing Russian warships to visit Cuban ports”; “failing to enact laws and regulations that respond positively to OFAC-issued licenses authorizing direct investment and financing to the re-emerging private sector in Cuba”; “refusing to authorize private companies to have operating bank accounts in the U.S.,” and “failing to assume all decisions of the Biden-Harris Administration that benefit the re-emerging private sector in Cuba.”

Established in 1994, this Council provides an efficient and sustainable educational structure in which the United States business community may access accurate, consistent, and timely information and analysis on matters and issues of interest regarding United States-Republic of Cuba commercial, economic, and political relations..” It “does not take positions with respect to United States-Republic of Cuba political relations. The organization is a private, not-for-profit, membership-based corporation that accepts neither United States government funding nor non-United States government funding.”

Its members have included Decatur, Illinois-based Archer Daniels Midland Company; Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Carlson Companies; Detroit, Michigan-based General Motors Corporation; Schaumburg, Illinois-based Motorola, Inc.; New York, New York-based American International Group; Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods; Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx Corporation; Stuttgart, Arkansas-based Riceland Foods, Inc.; Bentonville, Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; Greenford, United Kingdom-based GlaxoSmithKline plc; Indianapolis, Indiana-based Eli Lilly and Company; Cleveland, Ohio-based The Sherwin-Williams Company; St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M; Cincinnati, Ohio-based Chiquita Brands International; Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Medtronic; Oak Brook, Illinois-based Ace Hardware Corporation; Greenwood Village, Colorado-based First Data Corporation; Houston, Texas-based Enron Corporation; Berkshire, United Kingdom-based Cable & Wireless plc; London, United Kingdom-based Barclays Capital PLC; Wiltshire, United Kingdom-based Burmah Castrol Ltd.; and Paris, France-based Credit Lyonnais S.A. amongst other automotive, energy, financial services, healthcare, communications, entertainment, publishing, transportation, real estate, retail, consumer product, and other types of companies from the United States and other countries.

DDC FORUM

Last week in Madrid, Spain, Diario de Cuba, which is Cuba’s daily electronic newsletter (in Spanish and English), conducted its DDC FORUM with many speakers discussing Cuba’s many problems. For example, one of the sessions concluded, “It is the political system model that is hindering Cuba’s development and the beginning of its recovery.”3

Cuban Journalist Rafaela Cruz

Rafaela Cruz, a Cuban journalist, rejected the Cuban government’s opposition to the U.S. embargo. In summary, she asserts, Cuba’s “real blockade [is the one] that it has imposed on individual freedom since 1959, destroying more than the economy, the entire nation.”[4]

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[1] U.N. General Assembly Overwhelmingly Adopts Resolution Condemning U.S. Embargo of Cuba, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 30, 2024).

[2] “UN resolution on embargo will not fix Cuba or force others to fix it,’ Diario de Cuba (Oct. 30, 3024); U.S. Cuba Trade and Economic Council, Inc.,

[3] DDC FORUM: ‘It is the political system model that is hindering Cuba’s development and the beginning of its recovery, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 28, 2024)..

(4) Cuban Journalist Rejects U.S. Embargo as Cause of Cuba’s Turmoil, dwkcommentaries.com (Oct. 26, 2024).

DDC FORUM: ‘It is the political system model that is hindering Cuba’s development and the beginning of its recovery.’

In this panel for the DDC Forum, the participants were Edel Gonzalez Jimenez (Diario de Cuba lawyer). Mauricio de Miranda (economist, Pontifical University of Cali), Hilda Landrove (researcher, Cuba Debate), Vidal Romero (Political scientist, Autonomos Technological Institute of Mexico) and Ricardo Torres Perez (American University, U.S.).[1]

Edel Gonzalez: Law is an instrument of domination in Cuba.

On the island, “the exercise of law is framed within the defense of the Castro model and is aimed at restricting the participation of citizens. Law is an instrument of domination in Cuba. The law in Cuba is inconsistent with international standards, and a false façade of a socialist state of law remains on the island. International human rights standards are not harmonized with domestic laws.”

“Under current laws, no fundamental transformation can be considered in Cuba. All legal avenues are closed, which is why constituent power, which lies with the people, is essential.”

“There is an urgent need to fundamentally change Articles 4, 5 and 129 of the Constitution, which are the ones that legally prevent the development of a democratic system in Cuba.”

Mauricio de Miranda: “Prosperity will only be possible with the democratization of the country.”

“If the crisis were an opportunity, the Cuban economy has been in crisis for 33 years, 33 years of opportunities, and it has not changed.” This crisis “has brought with it a migratory hemorrhage, as well as a significant increase in poverty.”

“The government is unable to guarantee basic means of living and the crisis affects the most vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly, who suffer the harshest consequences.”

“Cuba depends on its external sector and this shows a clear sign of deterioration.”

“Cuban institutions can be clearly classified as extractivist, but the orange can only be squeezed so much. Cuba has destroyed its productive sector, the industry is stagnant and this is a direct consequence of the above. If it is true that without sugar there is no country, then today we have no country, because there is no sugar. In addition, tourism in Cuba is in sharp decline.”

“There is a predominance of dogmatic conceptions regarding socialism among a significant part of decision-makers, in addition to the inefficiency and immobility of the institutional system.”

“Why are the necessary measures not being adopted? Because they imply a transfer of power. It is the model of the political system that is holding back Cuba’s development and the beginning of the country’s recovery.”

“Prosperity will only be possible with the democratization of the country.”

Hilda Landrove: “Organizational and participatory capacity can also circulate through solidarity networks.”

“We are in a situation in Cuba where the near collapse of the economic system is combined with a reinforced repressive system.”

“The closure of political opportunities is accompanied by an economy that has nothing to offer to improve people’s lives.”

“Food insecurity, health problems and gender violence are some of the main problems facing women in Cuba today, and they are particularly marked among women who openly express their political activism.”

Since 11J, demonstrations in Cuba have not stopped occurring, even if they are of a minor scale, and women are protagonists in supporting them.”

“Mothers and relatives of political prisoners are facing constant repression.”

“That is why creating support networks is essential, because through these same solidarity networks also circulate the organizational and participatory capacity in Cuba.”

The politicization of the social struggle, which is not about ideologization, is what can allow us to create something that is fundamental, which is the feeling of possibility. Therefore, we are faced with the need and urgency of creating possible routes to move towards a better country.”

Vidal Romero,”The Cuban economy has generated too many black markets, which create criminal networks.”

“Normal countries report homicide rates every year, Cuba does not. It is a regime that is sustained by a lot of mechanisms and also by masking reality, especially citizen insecurity and drugs, which have increased in recent years.”

“The Cuban economy has generated too many black markets, which create criminal networks, which are used to traffic anything.”

“Corruption is very important in the government, and in a country like Cuba, criminal networks cannot be explained without the fact that figures in power are linked to them.”

“In the toughest autocracies there is a lot of order, just as there is order in the best democracies, but Cuba is neither one thing nor the other and that is where the disorder comes from.”

Ricardo Torres, “No stagnant economy can generate resources to recapitalize the energy system.”

“Electricity generation in Cuba depends on fossil fuels, more than half of which are imported, but Cuba does not have the capacity to pay for them on a stable basis.”

“With regard to renewable energy sources, it is significant that we are raising this issue now, when Cuba has lost one of its main sectors, the sugar industry, which would also be useful for energy generation.”

“Most of the equipment used to generate electricity in Cuba has been in operation for many years, and this, combined with the poor quality of the oil they use, creates a complex situation.”

“Energy infrastructure is expensive and no stagnant economy can generate the resources to recapitalize the system. Such recapitalization would require at least between eight and ten billion dollars spread over ten years. But Cuba does not generate such resources nor is it attractive to foreign investors.”

“Without energy there is no country, there is no point in investing in other sectors if there is no energy infrastructure to support it, but the entire energy issue is linked to the change in the Cuban economic system.===========================

[1] DDC FORUM: ‘It is the political system model that is hindering Cuba’s development and the beginning of its recovery,’ Diario de Cuba (Oct. 24, 2024).

DDC Forum: For the Cuba of Tomorrow

The Latin American Conference on Investigative Journalism (COLPIN) is holding its 2024 sessions in Madrid, Spain, October 23-26, with participants from more than 15 countries.

A major event at this Conference on October 24 and 25 was the production of the “DDC Forum: For the Cuba of Tomorrow” organized by Diaria de Cuba (DDC), the Cuban daily Internet diary about Cuba (in Spanish and English).[1] Here is a list of 20 of the Forum’s programs:[2]

“We are experiencing a national crisis that affects all families”
“The recovery of historical memory and the status of citizen in Cuba is essential”
“Cuban citizens want a change of system”
“Creating spaces for dialogue is one of the fundamental roles of civil society”
“I hope Cuba will be free soon, the current situation is decisive”
“Cuba, democratic transition and international panorama”
“It is the political system model that is hindering Cuba’s development and the beginning of its recovery”
“Cuban society is democratizing itself in a fast, open and plural way”
“The situation in Cuba is unsustainable, we are getting closer to change”
“Changes in Cuba depend on our ability to articulate”
“Is the current crisis in Cuba an opportunity?”
“Cuba needs to reconcile with itself and its diaspora”
“The crisis taking place today in Cuba is induced and irreversible”
“Cuba: What moves or paralyzes citizens today?”
“Power in Cuba is undergoing mutations that deepen its most negative features”
“If we do not analyze today’s problems, we will not be able to think of solutions for the Cuba of tomorrow”
“The system’s narrative is exhausted and it is imperative to approach the formation of a possible Cuba”
Trying to negotiate a transition with Miguel Diaz-Canel today would be a farce”
“Achieving a sustainable energy matrix depends on a progressive economy”
“With GAESA there is no country”

Reactions

These programs deserve careful study by everyone who is interested in the future of Cuba as it struggles with its many problems, including its current electrical crisis. These programs also indirectly and strongly support the United States ending its embargo (blockade) of the island and its designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and returning to the Obama Administration’s many decisions to normalize U.S. relations with Cuba.[3]

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[1] COLPIN, the great event of investigative journalism in Latin America, will be held in Madrid, Diario de Cuba (Sept. 25, 2024); Rosas, DDC in forum: ‘For the Cuba of tomorrow,”’ Diaria de Cuba (Sept. 25, 2024);

[2] [Details on 20 of DDC Forum’s Programs], Diario de Cuba (10/25/24). [Actual details on these programs will be discussed in future posts as they are revealed on Diario de Cuba.]

[3] See list of posts to dwkcommentaries in U.S. (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2014; U.S. (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization ), 2015; U.S. (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2016; U.S. (Obama) & Cuba (Normalization), 2017 in List of Posts to dwkcommentaries—Topical: Cuba [as of 5/4/20].