By Arianna Álvarez Avalo; a young Cuban student on August 2, 2021
Where were those who link the words “aid” and “humanitarian” when the United States banned a ship from China with supplies to fight Covid and help the Cuban people? Where were they when Trump banned monetary aid to families on the island, when an inhumane policy was intensified in the midst of a global crisis and a deadly disease, when he banned the purchase of fans from U.S. companies by leaving tankers at sea? Where were they when the people needed them most? The main humanitarian aid for all Cubans would be the total elimination of the Blockade. If you do not agree, you are not a human being nor do you want to help anyone.
Coincidentally, you are the same people who were surprised when Cuba helped the British ship because no one else wanted to do it …
We Cubans are in solidarity with ourselves. We do not need any opportunistic “humanitarian” corridor with clear political objectives when we have millions of brothers and sisters everywhere, this being a humanitarian corridor without much fanfare for years.
There are solidarity organizations with Cuba that have been sending donations for years and during the pandemic they did not stop. The projects, organizations, NGOs, churches and centers that send aid to Cuba are public. If you want to help, why have you never contacted these organizations and groups? Why are they now doing direct concerts and posters, becoming heroes while they were accomplices of the greatest abuses against the Cuban people? From Italy, Canada, the Canary Islands, Spain, England, Germany, Panama, … they sent supplies and truly humanitarian aid, from medicines, syringes, to money. And they continue to assemble containers for shipment, dodging the thousands of obstacles imposed by the blockade to get the cargo to the Cuban port.
To all of them our most sincere thanks.
Every life lost hurts a lot, the situation of the hospitals and isolation centers hurts a lot, the shortages hurt a lot, but we are not even remotely the worst country in the region. And while mathematics seems inadequate when it comes to human lives, it is time to show some data to those who want to sell us chaos and abandonment. These data are from yesterday, but the situation has not changed much, or at least not for the better.
Miami, with only 2,717,000 inhabitants had 504,000 cases of Coronavirus and 6,472 deaths (1.28% of confirmed cases).
Florida, with twice the population of Cuba, had 37,895 deaths. Should we ask for humanitarian aid for Florida?
Madrid with 6,752,763 inhabitants had 739,000 cases and 15,469 deaths (2.09% of confirmed cases).
Rio de Janeiro with 6,748,000 inhabitants had 973,000 cases and 56,321 deaths (5.78% of confirmed cases). From yesterday to today almost 200 more deaths.
The Metropolitan Region of Chile with 7,112,808 inhabitants had 661,000 cases and 17,377 deaths (2.62% of confirmed cases).
So, I could go on showing data from cities in the region and in the First World where, with far fewer inhabitants, the management of the pandemic was catastrophic and no one asked for “humanitarian intervention”.
Then, Cuba, which has controlled this pandemic for more than a year without reaching the collapse of its health systems and with 11,333,483 inhabitants, had 218,396 cases and 1,431 deaths (0.65% of confirmed cases).
I don’t have much more to say … Cuba does not have the necessary conditions nor is it even remotely close, according to the UN resolution, to request or accept a humanitarian intervention. For those who do not know, humanitarian intervention can be through the use of force … There is no warlike conflict, nor are we anywhere near the average mismanagement of the pandemic in the region. I will not be swayed by nonsense and orchestrated campaigns.
There is no shortage of examples of “humanitarian” interventions that culminated in military interventions and the overthrow of governments with economic interests behind them and thousands of civilians killed, despite the UN stipulation that there must be respect for sovereignty. Just to name a few, we have Panama, Yugoslavia, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, etc. Who was behind, directly or indirectly, all this “humanitarian aid”? Well, the same old abusers who won’t let us live in peace and who now want to “take care” of our welfare. Pure political cynicism and imperial opportunism.
I refuse to be used. Any help is welcome and gratitude will be eternal. The solidarity of the collectives that are abroad and that did not stop looking for ways to send us supplies are authentic humanitarian aid, they are the only humanitarian corridors that still exist today.
The organizations are there, the roads are there, the mechanisms are there, the intention is there.
If you want to help your Cuban brothers and sisters, do it wholeheartedly and unselfishly, as only true solidarity can be.
Cuba needs everyone but to do it for her. Stop what appears in the networks that there are lives to save here.
Source Solidariedadecubarj.blogspot, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English