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Esteban Morales Domínguez has passed away
Renowned intellectual Esteban Morales Domínguez has passed away. (+ Video)
A member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and of the José Antonio Aponte Commission, in which he developed an intense work, he bequeathed an important series of essays in the field of the study of the links between Cuba and the United States.
May 18, 2022 19:05:15 PM
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Esteban Morales Photo: Cubadebate
Renowned essayist, political scientist and professor Esteban Morales Domínguez died Wednesday at the age of 79, victim of a heart attack.
Through Twitter, the First Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, wrote about the intellectual:
“The surprise death of Esteban Morales pains us. We will miss his intelligent, incisive and committed assessment of the problems of our time. My condolences to his family, friends and the Cuban intelligentsia, which he gave prestige to with his work”.
A member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and of the José Antonio Aponte Commission, in whose bosom he developed an intense work, he bequeathed important written work in the field of the study of the links between Cuba and the United States.
Among the most significant titles in this field are Cuba-United States Relations: A Critical History and From Confrontation to Attempts at Normalization: U.S. Policy Toward Cuba, the latter in collaboration with essayist Elier Ramirez.
In another sphere, one of his books of greatest impact was Desafíos de la problemática racial en Cuba, published in 2007 by the Fernando Ortiz Foundation.
Morales’ intellectual career was linked to the University of Havana, where he was initially trained as an economist, devoted himself to teaching, and served as dean of the Faculty of Humanities and founding director of the Center for Studies on the United States.
Cuba condemns repression by Israeli forces
Cuba condemns repression by Israeli forces at funeral of slain Palestinian journalist
UN Secretary General António Guterres also criticized what happened at the funeral
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
A strong condemnation, on behalf of Cuba, against the cruel and inhumane behavior of Israeli forces during the burial of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, recently murdered, was posted on Twitter by Cuban Politburo member and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.
“We reaffirm our invariable solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause,” said the Foreign Minister, who described as “cowardly” the murder of the Al Jazeera reporter, by Israeli forces.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also criticized what happened at the funeral. Guterres said, through a spokesman, he was “deeply disturbed by the clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians gathered at Saint Joseph’s Hospital, and by the behavior of some police officers”.
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TRANSLATION:
Our strongest condemnation of the cruel and inhuman behavior of the Israeli forces during the burial of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
We reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and their just cause.
https://twitter.com/BrunoRguezP/status/1525170140085637121
Díaz-Canel receives AMLO (+video)
Díaz-Canel received President of Mexico (+video)
During the fraternal meeting, both parties highlighted the good state of bilateral relations, which will reach their 120th anniversary on May 20, and expressed their willingness to continue deepening the bonds of brotherhood that unite us.
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Foto: Estudios Revolución
The President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, held official talks on Sunday with the President of the United Mexican States, His Excellency Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is on a working visit to our country.
During the fraternal meeting, both parties highlighted the good state of bilateral relations, which will reach their 120th anniversary on May 20, and expressed their willingness to continue deepening the bonds of brotherhood that unite us. They also acknowledged the positive progress in economic-commercial, investment and cooperation relations, and ratified the will to continue strengthening these ties, taking advantage of the potential of both countries.
The Cuban President thanked Mexico for its historic support in the battle to lift the US economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. The meeting was also an opportunity to highlight the existing cultural ties between Cuba and Mexico, which have deepened with the participation of the Aztec nation as the guest of honor at the 30th Havana Book Fair.
At the end of the talks, a Declaration between the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the Republic of Cuba and a Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Health of the United Mexican States and the Ministry of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba were signed.
The distinguished visitor was accompanied by His Excellency Mr. Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón, Secretary of Foreign Affairs; the respective Secretaries of Health, National Defense and the Navy, Jorge Carlos Alcocer Varela, General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González and Admiral José Rafael Ojeda Durán; Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, Coordinator of Advisors to the President; and the Mexican Ambassador to Cuba, Miguel Ignacio Díaz Reynoso, among other officials.
Present for the Cuban side were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; Army Corps General Álvaro López Miera, Minister of Minfar; the Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz; the Minister of Public Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, and the Cuban Ambassador to Mexico, Marcos Rodríguez Costa, among other officials.
LÓPEZ OBRADOR RECEIVED THE NATIONAL ORDER JOSÉ MARTÍ
From the hands of President Díaz-Canel, this Sunday López Obrador was also awarded the José Martí National Order, the highest decoration granted by Cuba, for which he said he felt honored and grateful.
Díaz-Canel reaffirmed to his Mexican counterpart that “this was a desired, expected and longed-for visit, in which we can convey to him all the admiration, respect and affection you have here, for your expressions and gestures toward the Cuban people.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador replied that it could already be, as writers say, a commonplace to talk about the friendship between Cuba and Mexico, but that he was here to reaffirm the brotherhood and solidarity between both peoples.
The Mexican President arrived in Cuba at dusk on Saturday, and accompanied by the Vice President of the Republic, Salvador Valdés Mesa, he began the Sunday day with the laying of a wreath at the monument to José Martí, in the Plaza de la Revolución.
Martí, he said shortly after, “I admire him as much as I admire Bolívar and our Juárez”.
After ten o’clock on a historic Sunday night, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez bid farewell to Cuba’s dear friend. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was returning to Mexico.
Jane Campion and female film directors
Jane Campion, the dog, and female film directors
Critics, audiences and festivals point to Jane Campion as the great favorite, one wonders what is happening in an industry traditionally dominated by men and their misogyny
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
The Power of the Dog, by Jane Campion. Photo: Still from the movie
The fact that I am writing these lines hours before the 2022 Oscar ceremony forces us to establish that it would be a surprise if The Power of the Dog does not win the statuette for Best Picture, and others, considering the 12 nominations received.
It is already known that the Oscars have been an artistic-commercial construction dominated for years by the weight of the big industry, and by a scale of classic values typical of the cinema made in Hollywood, always with an eye on the weight of the box office.
Good films can be made, but when it comes to aspiring to the Oscars, do not expect marked aesthetic breakthroughs or proposals that subvert the established order “too much”.
However, along with this more of the same that tries to disguise itself as a renovator in the heat of the new times (Argo, Oscar 2013, Ben Affleck), there have been artistic contributions that have given prestige to the award, such as Roma (2018, Alfonso Cuarón), which before arriving at the Oscar ceremony dragged a trail of impressive international awards and recognitions, as has happened with The Power of the Dog, which again placed the New Zealander Jane Campion (The Piano) in stellar shots.
Considering that last year the coveted Oscar for Best Picture was won by the excellent Nomadland, by Chloé Zhao, a Chinese filmmaker living in Los Angeles, and now critics, audiences and festivals were pointing to Campion as the big favorite, one wonders what is happening in an industry traditionally dominated by men and their misogyny.
It is true that Zhao’s and Campion’s films, although released under the aegis of Netflix and involved in Oscar’s gear, are not representative products of classic Hollywood, but a review of the numbers suggests that, almost a century after command and control, and after resounding criticism of racism, sexism and other unworthy manipulations, the American Academy admits, with its actions, that it had been making a mistake in terms of equality and inclusive opportunities.
The statistics prove it: in 2011, only 5% of the films made in Hollywood were by female directors. In 2018, the figure reached 8%; in 2020, 20%; and in 2021, 17 %.
The percentage of female directors tripled in 15 years, but essentially with the prominence of white women, as there is hardly any room for minorities, while Black female directors do not exceed 2%, according to reports from the University of Southern California. The report speaks of the progressive, though still insufficient, changes in mentality on the part of the big Hollywood studios and the role of streaming platforms, more inclined to support that developing equality.
Asked by The Hollywood Reporter to what she attributed the transformations of recent years, Jane Campion said she gave credit “to the brave women who really blew the lid off Hollywood with their revelations about abuse and inequality. I think there’s been a lot of rethinking and a very active determination on the part of men and women to see that change.”
The Me Too movement started virally on social media in October 2017, feminism in general, LGBTI issues, and the campaigns for equality present in the international arena have been instrumental in gradually shaking off the old cobwebs that for decades marginalized women in Hollywood.
Other cinematographies have not escaped the influence of women, including screenwriters, actresses, photographers and technicians, who have been reiterating with their performances that talent has no gender.
An old struggle in full swing in which the veteran Jane Campion returns with The Power of the Dog, a western shot in New Zealand -which we will talk about later-, to demonstrate that, in the house of the spinning top, it can be a foreign director who dances best.
Some truths about illegal migration by Cubans
Some truths about illegal migration by Cubans
In view of the right of people to migrate, our country has managed, gradually, to put in order the legislation in force. Cubans can travel to any part of the world, if they comply, logically, with the regulations established by other countries.
March 30, 2022 20:03:37
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Human migrations date back to time immemorial. So much so that many theories suggest that, thanks to them, it was possible to populate different regions of the planet.
Although the reasons for migrating are diverse, they are generally due to the search for better living conditions. That is why wars, extreme poverty or the complexity of the economic, individual or social environment are triggers for this phenomenon.
Although there are global efforts to promote legal and orderly migration, and to recognize and respect the guarantees and rights of those who make this decision, regardless of their legal status, we are still far from achieving this.
There is no consensus on this issue and, therefore, irregular and disorderly migration is today a latent problem whose solution is not yet on the horizon.
CUBA, AN EXCEPTIONAL CASE?
In view of the right of people to migrate, our country has gradually managed to put in order the legislation in force. Cubans can travel anywhere in the world, if they comply, logically, with the regulations established by other nations.
But what makes Cuba an exceptional case in terms of immigration? The answer is well known. For decades, in their eagerness to destabilize the revolutionary process, to build the myth of its “inefficiency” in terms of the standard of living offered to the people, and to create before the world the idea that this is a country in decline, successive U.S. governments have hindered the legal channels for the emigration of Cubans to that nation.
On the other hand, they promote special regulations for those born on the Island, thus stimulating both the illegal departure of Cubans and their attempt to reach that nation by means of the dangerous routes that involve several countries of the continent.
The reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, during the mandate of Barack Obama, and the reopening of its Embassy in Havana, gave a certain change of color to the matter, even though the agreed number of visas was never reached. However, Donald Trump’s administration reversed everything that had been achieved, and went so far as to suspend consular services and force Cubans to travel to other countries to apply for their visas.
His successor, Joe Biden, has maintained the line of action regarding Cuba, and although he recently announced that certain procedures at the Embassy would be resumed, it does not seem that things will change much.
Such circumstances, together with the economic difficulties generated by the terrible pandemic-blockade duet, stimulated the departure from the country of thousands of Cubans who, although they leave the archipelago legally, once in the stopover country, become illegal migrants in order to reach the USA at the mercy of extortion and extortion.
AT THE MERCY OF EXTORTION AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, Cuba has been a pillar in the fight to eradicate human trafficking. It is a crime severely punished in the largest of the Antilles, while in much of the world it is still a very profitable business and, of course, irregular migrants immediately become a highly vulnerable group.
Although it is sad to admit it, in our continent operate dissimilar networks dedicated to the trafficking of human beings. Perhaps the best known figures within this dark web are the so-called coyotes, whose function is basically to outwit or bribe the authorities, and drive migrants through border crossings.
These groups, outside of any law, move exclusively for monetary interests, without any commitment to the people they drive. Therefore, if they get lost, they are capable of abandoning, handing over and, in the worst case, but no less frequent, murdering their companions.
Therefore, once the illegal transit route begins, these are the people in whose hands our nationals find themselves. Have Cubans been swindled, intimidated, suffered from rape to other physical aggressions, have been threatened and some have been murdered? Yes. That is the risk they run, and it is, many times, the high price they pay.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
It is incredible how the obsession to “leave” robs people of their common sense. Logically, a journey of this magnitude needs economic support, since it begins with the request for the necessary documentation, the purchase of the ticket and then, of course, the payment to those who guide the transit.
To pay for the project, there are those who sell everything and get rid of practically all their belongings, often at lower prices, to save time. Since there is no certainty of completing the trip, many have found themselves in the difficult situation of returning and having literally nothing.
On the other hand, faced with the impossibility of legally reclaiming their relatives, Cubans living abroad assume the cost of a trip that is, by all accounts, uncertain.
The amount of money, in turn, determines the conditions of the journey. Therefore, some have better guarantees of transportation, food, even lodging, while others must face, for example, the real possibility of being swallowed up by the Darien jungle in Panama.
The truth is that, whatever the amount, I don’t think it will ever pay the value of life.
CUBA IS ALWAYS IN THE HEADLINES
The migratory issue does not escape the constant media attack to which our country is subjected. That is the reason why, although thousands of Latin Americans undertake the same journey every day, they do not grab the headlines that Cubans do.
As it is to be expected, none of those headlines begins by saying, for example: “Unilateral measures of the United States incite illegal migration of Cubans”. Of course not.
The most common, sensationalist and malicious ones are focused in ways such as: “Cubans flee desperate for the prevailing situation on the Island”, or “Cubans prefer to be swallowed by the Darien before continuing to live in their country”.
This serves to understand that nothing escapes manipulation when it comes to our country, and that always, whatever the causes of a problem may be, blaming the socialist system or the Revolutionary Government will be the preferred hypothesis.
TO EMIGRATE OR NOT TO EMIGRATE?
It would be naïve and false to deny that Cuba is living today a complex situation. Undoubtedly, the necessary battle against the pandemic, aggravated by such a criminal policy as the blockade, prevented the achievement of objectives aimed at giving a new breath of fresh air to the Cuban economy.
However, it is very unfair to say that this has happened because of the government’s inability or lack of political will and efforts to move forward. It is also uncertain that there is a critical situation in Cuba, to such an extent that it forces its citizens to flee, in the same way as those who flee, for example, from a war.
Inflation, yes, price speculation, shortages, all this is real, as is the fact that basic services essential for the people were never stopped, that the standard family basket of goods was never not distributed fairly, that no hospital was closed, that there were no massive layoffs, that the private sector was protected from the bankruptcy of its businesses, that it has been vaccinated, at no cost to the people.
The decision to leave, even at the risk of one’s life, is an individual one, it is up to the free will of each person. Everyone has their own reasons and no one intends to question them.
It is worth mentioning that this Island does not close its doors to its children; therefore, those who decide to return may do so.
Some have told their story. Others will never have the courage to narrate their experiences, and those who arrive will rarely talk about the dark side of their journey.
On top of all that, there is a reality. Sometimes, what seems little to some can be the greatest of riches to others. Some pursue the American dream, while, for the vast majority, Cuba is the greatest of dreams.
IN CONTEXT:
THE U.S. IS IN BREACH OF ITS LEGAL OBLIGATION. The US fails to comply with its legal obligation to grant no less than 20,000 visas annually, imposes the burden of the brutal economic blockade and pressures governments in the region to demand transit visas for Cuban migrants and travelers.
The Cuban side has repeatedly warned the U.S. government of its responsibility – which it has unilaterally and unjustifiably failed to fulfill since 2017 – to facilitate regular, safe and orderly emigration.
The United States has been pressuring governments in the region for weeks to take measures against the Cuban traveler, in a cynical effort to close the doors to the emigration it has encouraged for decades.
In its eagerness to use the Cuban population as a “hostage of its hegemonic ambition”, the U.S. violates the human rights of our citizens and maintains a destabilizing policy against Cuba that violates International Law.
SOURCE: Twitter of Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Obesity, a pandemic in the world
Obesity, a pandemic affecting more than 1 billion people in the world
According to the results of the National Health Survey Cuba 2020, 20% of the total population under 15 years of age is overweight, although by region, a lower proportion is apparently observed in rural areas.
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Obesity is no longer just a problem of developed nations. Photo: Reuters
Obesity, with accelerated growth in the last decades, has come to be considered the pandemic of the 21st century.
According to the website of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (Minsap), this condition has tripled its figures since 1975.
The United Nations (UN) warned this Friday, on World Obesity Day against this disease, that in the year 2025 some 167 million people will be in poorer health due to overweight or obesity, which affects more than 1 billion people.
According to a press release from the organization, this disease affects 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children.
On the other hand, it is estimated that at least three out of every ten children and adolescents, between five and 19 years of age, live with overweight in Latin America and the Caribbean, adds Minsap.
In 2020, UNICEF, the WHO and the World Bank estimated that 7.5% of children under five years of age in the region were overweight, which represents nearly 4 million children. This figure exceeds the world average percentage, which is 5.7%, emphasized the Cuban Ministry’s publication.
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the problem with limited access to healthy food and lower purchasing power.
In Cuba, malnutrition and being underweight are not a health problem in the child population. However, overweight and obesity have been on the rise, according to isolated studies in children, as well as in adolescents and adults, according to Minsap.
These results demonstrated their association with the increase of different chronic non-communicable diseases such as arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus and certain types of cancer, among others.
According to the results of the National Health Survey Cuba 2020, 20% of the total population under 15 years of age is overweight, although by region, a lower proportion is apparently observed in rural areas. A similar behavior appears in the levels of obesity found, with a total prevalence of almost 20 %.
However, there is a trend towards greater overweight in adolescence, which could be explained by the pubertal changes that are beginning to occur. The higher figures of obesity in the youngest children constitute a warning of possible complications.
Minsap adds that in general, with respect to data from other studies carried out in our country, overweight and obesity have increased in the child population.
The negative effects caused by the increase in obesity worldwide are exported from one country to another, even reducing their economic productivity. Therefore, it is necessary to develop intervention policies that work to reverse this pandemic, the publication emphasizes.
Chernobyl in our memory
Chernobyl in our memory
Fidel had conceived a medical care and rehabilitation program for those victims of radiation exposure from the accident nuclear plant. Almost all of them were Ukrainians, and some Russians and Belarusians.
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Photo: Granma Archive
As a journalist, there were several occasions when I visited groups of Ukrainian children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Tarará, a beach east of Havana.
Fidel had conceived a program of medical care and rehabilitation for those victims of exposure to radiation from the accident nuclear plant. Almost all of them were Ukrainians, and some Russians and Belarusians.
I was also able to witness the admiration and gratitude to Fidel from the families of those children, whom the Commander-in-Chief visited on several occasions, after having received the first group on the steps of the plane that took them to our country. He signed his olive green cap and gave it as a gift to a Ukrainian girl, he inquired with doctors and directors about the whole program of attention to the minors, their most common pathologies and about their evolution during their stay on the island.
Thousands of Cubans were involved in the program, and more than 25,457 people, including 21,378 children, received specialized medical care.
Our country placed its health institutions at their service, and more than 300 children were treated for hematological diseases, mainly leukemia, 136 for different tumors, and 14 complex heart surgeries, two kidney transplants, six bone marrow transplants, among many other treatments, were performed.
Everything was done free of charge, as an expression of love and solidarity, attributes that contrast with those who today send thousands of tons of weapons to Ukraine, a country that has become hostage to the hegemonic policy of the u.s. and nato, to confront Russia.
On April 2, 2010, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Program for the care of children affected by radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, in a ceremony in Havana, the former Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, recognized Fidel as the greatest inspirer of a human work that meant the care of these Ukrainian minors.
On the occasion, Kuchma announced the awarding to Fidel of the Order of Merit of the First Degree, and to then-President Raúl Castro, the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, of the First Degree.
He awarded distinctions to doctors, diplomats and collaborators who contributed to the successful achievement of that program, all in order to save the lives of children and young people, those who will forever carry in their hearts the indelible mark of the friendship between the peoples of Ukraine and Cuba.
Today, when that country is going through difficult times in a war provoked by the United States and NATO, we remember those moments of tears and joy of children who came with their families from that distant country, to whom Cuba gave part of what it had to save their lives.
We remember those Ukrainians at moments like today, and together with them, we ask for the war to end and for that country to join the international community without warlike aspirations and with a neutral character that should not change, no matter how much the promoters of hatred and confrontation, that is, the U.S. government and nato, want to take it down the wrong path, as a hostage of their expansionist policies.
Canadian company begins remittances
Canadian company begins sending remittances to Cuba
They received a formal written response from the U.S. Treasury Department, which considers their activity “within the scope of permitted transactions”.
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Photo: www.globenewswire.com
RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. announced that it has begun sending remittances to Cuba, although it has taken special precautions with respect to the United States and ” the complexities surrounding this specific market.”
According to the company’s website, in November 2021 they communicated with the U.S. Treasury Department explaining the uniqueness of their remittance mechanism and received a formal written response on December 1, 2021, that considers their activity “within the scope of permitted transactions.”
They further detail that the possibility of sending remittances to Cuba is already available through RevoluSEND and partners including coordinations from the RevoluGROUP USA Inc. subsidiary based in Miami, FL.
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos F. de Cossio noted on his Twitter account, “So the U.S. banned remittances via Western Union to Cuba, which charged about $5 per 100 sent, to apparently authorize formulas that charge the sender up to $30 per 100.”
As part of the information to validate the Cuban market, RevoluGROUP Canada Inc. indicates that Cubans in the United States comprise nearly 2.7 million people who were born in Cuba or are descendants, according to U.S. Census Bureau tabulations.
Other significant populations of Cubans around the world are in Spain (141,400), Italy (37 300), Canada (19,000), Germany (13,400) and Mexico (12,900), according to mid-2019 United Nations Population Division estimates cited by the company.
They do not ignore, as part of their statement, that Western Union’s service – which previously handled about 30% of the market – was suspended in November 2020 and that, as a consequence of US policy towards the island, it is no longer possible to send remittances to Cuba with the main US providers.
What it does not say is that the official and safest ways for sending remittances from the United States by those who cannot travel frequently to Cuba to support their loved ones with money or do not wish to use third parties to help their relatives have been closed.
In the midst of the crisis aggravated by COVID-19 and the tightened blockade itself, the United States directly affected the Cuban family first, in 2019, when the U.S. administration set a quarterly limit on remittances of one thousand dollars per beneficiary; and then in 2020 when Western Union suspended operations to Cuba from 42 countries.
In June of that year, the U.S. added Fincimex to the State Department’s list of Restricted Cuban Entities; and finally, at the end of 2020, they suspended remittances from the U.S. to Cuba through institutional financial channels.
Ukraine: the war that must end
Ukraine: the war that must end
It is not a matter of mere assessments to blame the U.S. Government for what is currently happening in Ukraine, but there are statements that very lightly limit themselves to “it was Russia who attacked Ukraine”.
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
Photo: Sputnik
These are not mere assessments to blame the US government for what is currently happening in Ukraine, but there are statements that very lightly limit themselves to “it was Russia who attacked Ukraine”.
It is necessary to go to safe sources, committed to peace, and go back to the history of U.S. wars, aggressions, bombings and other actions in the international arena.
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, warned: “We must never forget who is the real threat to the world”. And he explained: “of the 248 armed conflicts that took place between 1945 and 2001 in 153 regions of the world, 201 were initiated by the US, accounting for 81% of the total”.
I don’t think anyone can be in any doubt as to who is really responsible for what is happening in Ukraine today. Washington’s destabilizing attempts to impose its hegemony are directed towards Russia.
Now, this justification –in the current case– has the ingredient that the Yankee power itself has made the European Union as an entity, as well as several of its main leaders, into spokespersons in favor of what the empire says and does.
What sense does it make for a continent -the European continent-, fiercely punished by two world wars that left millions of its children dead, wounded and mutilated, and entire cities destroyed, to ally itself again with those who were the first and only ones in the world to use the nuclear bomb, or who more recently and without consulting anyone, bombed Yugoslavia, a nation of that region?
Why not devote all the political forces in Europe to demanding withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons, or the dozens of military bases installed on its territory and its hundreds of thousands of soldiers?
What other country in the world has an endorsement as questioned as that of the United States? What other power has hundreds of military bases scattered around the globe?
There was not supposed to be war in Ukraine, but unfortunately, there is. Therefore, all the strength and resources of the world should be directed to bringing the confrontation to an end as soon as possible. Let no more Ukrainians, Russians or other nationalities continue to die. Let only Russia and Ukraine seek the best way to live as neighbors: in peace and mutual respect.
A neutral Ukraine, where all its inhabitants, whether Russians or Ukrainians, live together in harmony and tranquility, united in the common desire to build an inclusive and prosperous country.
But militarizing Ukraine or encouraging it to join NATO is, above all, an historical irresponsibility with unpredictable consequences.
In this regard, the Russian Foreign Ministry has pointed out that financing Ukraine and supporting it militarily goes against the principles and agreements signed by the European Union.
It lists, among others, the fact that Kyiv ignores its obligations under the Minsk agreements, endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2202. Also the violation of human rights, with the use of weapons provided by the West for the ongoing repression in Donbas.
Russia warns about the risks of an escalation of the conflict due to the delivery of more weapons, which, in addition, threatens regional security and stability. It also points out the danger of deliveries of these war devices falling into the wrong hands, including those of terrorist organizations, given the uncontrolled distribution to the Ukrainian population.
Finally, Russia recalls that Ukraine’s economy is suffering as a result of the armed conflict.
How to Achieve Peace in Ukraine
How to achieve Peace in Ukraine
By Max Lesnik
March 01, 2022
Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews.
We can learn from history and thus avoid repeating past mistakes by seeking to replicate the successes only.
The crisis between Russia and Ukraine that has led to an open war between these neighboring countries, with the invasion of the territory of the latter by the former, leading to a very serious situation that could lead to a disastrous nuclear catastrophe for all mankind.
How was the so-called “October Crisis”, which almost led to a nuclear holocaust between the United States and the now defunct Soviet Union, resolved in 1962?
Diplomacy and not arms resolved the dangerous conflict that almost turned the “Cold War” into a “Hot War” that would have turned the world into a planetary cemetery at that time.
Cuba, already harassed by the United States since the triumph of its Revolution, was threatened by the “Colossus of the North” with invasion of its territory in Imperial response to the courageous attitude of the small Caribbean island that dared to defend its independence and sovereignty at whatever price was necessary.
It was then that another world power, the Soviet Union, rival of the United States in the so-called “Cold War”, in an attitude of solidarity and with the acquiescence of the revolutionary government, installed rocket batteries with atomic capacity on Cuban soil in order to respond militarily to the United States, in the event of an American invasion of the rebellious Cuba.
The world was on the brink of atomic war. But dialogue and diplomacy prevailed. An exchange of messages and letters ensued between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev  and U.S. President John F. Kennedy, a dialogue that led to an honorable agreement between the conflicting parties .
The Soviets would withdraw the rockets which, according to Kennedy, because they were only a few miles from U.S. territory, threatened the security of his country. A solid and convincing argument.
In addition, Cuba would not be part of the so-called “Warsaw Pact”, a military alliance of the communist nations of Europe, equivalent to NATO, which unites militarily the United States with the nations of Western Europe.
In reciprocity, the United States would withdraw the atomic rockets they had in Turkey, which, because of their proximity to the territory of the Soviet Union, threatened the security of that nation. A solid argument that also convinces.
And most importantly. The United States accepted the commitment not to attack Cuba militarily. No invasion.
The so-called “Kennedy-Khrushchev Pact” saved the world from a nuclear holocaust.
In the current political-military crisis between Russia and Ukraine, the parties in conflict should seek a compromise to resolve their differences diplomatically, as was done during the October Crisis of 1962.
The Russians withdraw from Ukrainian territory and undertake not to invade neighboring Ukraine in the future. For its part, Ukraine renounces to be part of NATO and commits itself that in its territory, so close to Russia, atomic weapons that threaten Russian security will never be deployed. A solid argument that convinces.
This time Putin is in the role of Kennedy and Biden in that of Nikita Khrushchev.
I believe that Putin understands and would accept this commitment to world peace.
Will President Biden understand it as President Kennedy understood it then?
To be or not to be. That is the question!
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