Close Topic Options

Cuba

Cuba

Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals.

Ref. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cu.html

Cuba

The USA offers US$50,000 to Cuba after a storm disrupted most of its power and caused havoc to residents. Cuba declined because they said it was both hypocritical of the US to offer money and have them in an embargo and the amount of money offered was insulting. What do you think? Was Cuba right or should they have humbled themselves and taken the money?

Cuba Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

Well, $50,000 was not a lot of money, but it was better than nothing. I guess they had reason to not take the offer and make the statements they did, but on the other hand, if refusing that money meant that some residents had to suffer, then that is poor leadership. My belief is first and foremost a leader must make decisions that will help their own people, and put pride aside.

Cuba

Well I know how they must feel (Cuba)... imagine you are in your home and the police set up a booth outside on piece of your property, they then say to you, you may not talk to your neighbors or trade with them and if they try to have a relationship with you we will make life difficult for you. You may not come out of the house or try to earn money. Everyone watches you with mistrust because of the heavy police focus on you, you start to get more and more poor, but there is nothing you can do about it because the police are stronger than you. Then consider the storm comes along and damages part of your house so one of the police knocks on your door and says, here, take this $5 to repair your roof. What will be your reaction?

Cuba

Excelent point JB, that's exactly what I was going to say. I think Mr. Castro is showing the kind of pride sometimes we should feel, whether his thinking is right or wrong, is not for me to say but if he believes the US had and is hurting Cuba with all the restrictions that have been put to them in order to affect them economically, how hypocrit can be that they want to donate money now? It doesn't make sense to me. For one side, you are affecting their economy without taking in consideration how poor those people already are, and now you wanna help?.

Cuba

CUBAN SHIPS HERSELF TO U.S. IN WOODEN CRATE

A Cuban woman tucked herself inside a wooden crate the size of a small filing
cabinet and had herself shipped from the Bahamas to Miami aboard a cargo
plane.
Ref. https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/08/25/cuba.crate.ap/index.html

Cuba

Cuba is a very remarkable country in terms of the very friendly and resourceful people including advancement in education and healthcare despite the problems with the blockade, shortages and etc.

Cuba Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean

REPORT: GET READY FOR POST-CASTRO CUBA

The U.S. should have assistance in Cuba within weeks of President Fidel Castro's death to support a transitional government and help move the country toward democracy, a government report recommends.
Ref. https://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/06/...stro/index.html