#Cuba&039;s National Assembly of Popular Power

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Cuba’s National Assembly Approves Draft Constitution

Cuba’s National Assembly Approves Draft Constitution

On July 22, Cuba’s National Assembly of Popular Power approved the draft of the new Cuba Constitution. It will now go to a period of “popular consultation, August 13-November 15, and afterwards to a national referendum. [1]

In a concluding address to this session, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said, “The behavior of the economy in the first . . .[half of the year] closes with 1.1 percent growth. A…

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Nearly All U.N. Members Condemn U.S. Embargo on Cuba

Summary:

In a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly last week, delegates overwhelmingly voted to condemn the United States' continued trade embargo on Cuba, with one holdout being the representative from Israel. The resolution to condemn America's sanctions against Cuba has been brought to the U.N. every year for the past thirty years, gaining more support this year than it ever has. Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez spoke of the "cruel" toll the embargo has taken on Cuba's economy: over $6 billion since President Biden assumed office, and insurmountably more since it was first instituted in 1960. While President Obama attempted to ease tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, predecessors Trump and Biden have reversed those efforts by enforcing further sanctions. Biden has justified the latest sanctions as a condemnation of Cuba's police response to protests last year, which evolved into violent anti-government protests. But Cuba's UN ambassador Yuri Gala believes, as do most UN members, that "if the United States government really did care for [...] human rights and self-determination of the Cuban people, it could lift the embargo," (Gala, "Only one country backs US in UN Cuba vote").

Analysis:

America's embargo on Cuba is a relic of the Cold War and its efforts to prop up governments around the world that favor capitalism and liberalism – many of which have failed. Most notably, the U.S. provided financial and military support to the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista in the post-World War II era. Batista was severely authoritarian, but his economic policies allowed the U.S. to benefit from trade with Cuba, and he led a prominent campaign against "Communist activities." America's support for Batista despite his corrupt leadership, and its subsequent hostility towards a Castro-led Cuba, demonstrates the realist theory that states will ultimately abandon principles in favor of self-interest. U.S. foreign policy regarding Cuba prioritized the relative gains of its own power over the idealist approach of cultural consistency. If America truly were a staunch proponent of democracy, it would have condemned Batista's authoritarian abuses and use of secret police forces. But to American officials, creating a capitalist global economy was more advantageous than opposing Batista's anti-democratic dictatorship. Put in terms of the prisoner's dilemma, America chose to confess, not cooperate.

Fidel Castro as a popular leader championing socialist ideals posed an ideological threat to the U.S. in its efforts to emerge as the capitalist global hegemon. It lended legitimacy to the ideals of the Soviet Union, America's opponent in the Cold War and the other end of the bipolar global power structure. While the U.S. enjoyed hegemon status after the Soviet Union fell, growing opposition to the U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba reflect a shift towards a more multipolar power distribution. As nations like China, India, and Russia gain influence, so too do ideologies counter to American and western ideals; socialism and anti-capitalist sentiments are increasingly popular around the world. The U.N.'s near-unanimous vote against America's actions symbolizes a new balance of power that challenges U.S. supremacy on the global stage.

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The Inauguration of Cuba’s New President, Miguel Díaz-Canel

The Inauguration of Cuba’s New President, Miguel Díaz-Canel

On April 19, Miguel Diaz-Canel officially became Cuba’s new President of the Councils of State and Ministers. Born after the Revolution in 1960, he grew up in the central province of Villa Clara, about three hours from Havana, the son of a schoolteacher and a factory worker. He studied electrical engineering at the Central University of Las Villas, where he was active in political life. After…