"Long term US sanctions have caused serious harm to the Cuban economy and people's livelihoods" (in-depth observation) Cuba | United States | Economy

In a market in Havana, the capital of Cuba, vendors are waiting for customers to come and purchase seasoning.

Photo by our reporter Xie Jianing

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The unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba have been ongoing for over 60 years, causing enormous economic losses and serious humanitarian disasters to Cuba. The sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba cover almost all areas of people's livelihoods, from fuel, food, daily necessities to medicine, resulting in Cuba facing a serious shortage of goods for a long time. The indiscriminate unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States seriously violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic norms of international relations, damage regional peace and stability, and highlight its hegemonic and hegemonic nature.

After the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the US government adopted a hostile policy towards Cuba. In 1961, the United States and Cuba severed diplomatic relations. The following year, the United States imposed an economic, financial, and trade embargo on Cuba, which has continued to this day. Since the COVID-19, the sanctions of the United States have further seriously hindered the improvement of the Cuban economy and people's livelihood, resulting in the shortage of local food and medicine, and the difficulty of people's lives. Recently, our reporter walked into Cuba and the local people lamented the serious harm caused by the hegemonic and bullying behavior of the United States.

"Sanctions have affected every aspect of our lives"

Yusmail Garcia resides in the capital of Cuba, Havana. A few years ago, he resigned from his car repair job and switched to becoming a taxi driver. "Due to the sanctions imposed by the United States, our supplies are insufficient and our goods are incomplete. Materials for repairing tires need to be imported. Repairing four tires alone costs $600, which the vast majority of ordinary people cannot afford." Garcia said that the US sanctions have also led to an extreme shortage of drugs in Cuba. His mother had breast cancer, and daily drugs needed to be purchased by friends from all kinds of channels. "US sanctions have affected all aspects of our lives, and after the epidemic, it is even more difficult for us."

According to official statistics from Cuba, based on current US dollar prices, US sanctions have resulted in cumulative losses of over 150 billion US dollars in Cuba since 1962. Since the COVID-19, the United States has continued to tighten sanctions against Cuba. Cuban Foreign Minister Rodriguez stated that from August 2021 to February 2022 alone, the economic losses caused by US sanctions on Cuba amounted to 3.8 billion US dollars. Due to Cuba's reliance on imports for many goods, sanctions directly limit the Cuban government's ability to provide food, medicine, consumer goods to the people, and expand industrial and agricultural production. The Cuban government points out that the sanctions imposed by the United States for over 60 years are the fundamental cause of Cuba's economic difficulties, and they have harmed all Cuban businesses and families.

The reporter visited several local supermarkets and found that the products on the shelves were very limited, with only a small amount of vegetables, meat, and a single brand of toiletries and beverages. "Under the sanctions of the United States, Cuba is extremely short of supplies and often has to run several supermarkets to try their luck in order to buy necessary daily necessities," Milsa Hernandez, a 71 year old local resident, told reporters.

The report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shows that the trade embargo has had a "direct impact" on Cuba, leading to an increase in the cost of food production in Cuba. Cuban economist Ricardo Torres said that the US government falsely claimed that sanctions against Cuba were only aimed at the government and not at the people. "In fact, long-term US sanctions have caused serious harm to the Cuban economy and people's livelihoods.".

Hernandez said that the Cuban government has introduced many policies to attract foreign investment, but due to the sanctions imposed by the United States, some companies from certain countries dare not invest in Cuba at all. "Without sanctions, our lives would definitely be better."

"The US sanctions are a deliberate act of economic warfare"

According to the statistics of the Cuban government, during the four years of the former US President Trump's administration alone, the US government has implemented more than 240 unilateral sanctions against Cuba, of which more than 50 were implemented against the backdrop of the COVID-19. In January 2021, the US government re included Cuba in the list of countries that support terrorism, citing reasons such as providing asylum for terrorists and interfering in Venezuela and regional affairs. Rodriguez said, "The sanctions imposed by the United States are deliberate economic warfare aimed at causing the collapse of the Cuban economy and creating an ungovernable situation."

Cuba used to be the world's largest exporter of raw sugar, with a maximum annual production of 8 million tons. Under the sanctions imposed by the United States, Cuba's sugar industry and export earnings have suffered a huge blow. Statistics show that Cuba's sugar production from 2021 to 2022 was 474000 tons, only achieving 52% of its annual production target, the lowest since 1908. This number cannot even meet the planned annual domestic consumption of 500000 tons by the Cuban government. From 2004 to 2020, the overseas sales of Cuban raw sugar decreased from 1.8274 million tons to 581300 tons, resulting in a 37.8% decrease in revenue. Cuban sugar industry is calling on the US government to lift the blockade, allowing Cuban agricultural production to develop in a normal environment.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, the United States prevented Cuba from obtaining raw materials for vaccine production. The US news website People's World pointed out in an article that due to the US blockade of Cuba, Cuba is unable to obtain materials for manufacturing syringes in a timely manner. At the same time, the United States also prohibits third countries from selling ventilators to Cuba, and many critically ill patients are unable to receive timely treatment, causing great harm to the Cuban people. "If the US government is truly interested in the well-being and human rights of Cubans, it should lift the blockade," said Yuri Gala, Cuba's Deputy Representative to the United Nations.

Torres believes that the United States government continues to exert pressure on Cuba through the COVID-19 in an attempt to cut off Cuba's tourism industry, overseas remittances and other major sources of foreign exchange, destroy the Cuban economy, create social unrest and create difficulties for the Cuban government.

"This is a typical hegemonic thinking and interventionist behavior"

In November 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority of 185 votes in favor, once again urging the United States to end its economic, commercial, and financial blockade of Cuba. This is the 30th consecutive time the General Assembly has passed a similar resolution. Since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has voted annually on the resolution proposed by Cuba calling for the lifting of the US blockade, which has received overwhelming support from the international community and has conveyed the call of the international community to oppose US hegemony.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, the United States embargo policy has increased the challenge of implementing projects such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria in Cuba. The United Nations Environment Programme emphasizes that the trade embargo imposed by the United States has resulted in almost zero potential for Cuba to engage in regional cooperation on environmental issues, preventing the country from acquiring key technologies to promote green transformation.

According to a recent article published by the Latin American News Agency of Cuba, "the blockade of the United States is a large-scale, flagrant and unacceptable violation of Cuban human rights." Alejandro Toro, a Cuban official, said: "We are suffering from a lack of drugs and loss of trade partners. Because Cuba is included in the list of countries that support terrorism, we cannot access the international banking system, causing long-term losses in tourism and other income."

"Cuba seeks an independent path of development, which the United States sees as a challenge to its hegemony and therefore uses economic blockade and other means to exploit Cuba. This is a typical hegemonic thinking and interventionist behavior," said Favio Fernandes, a professor at the Department of History and Philosophy at the University of Havana in Cuba.

"The sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba have caused huge losses to the Cuban people." Qatar's Al Jazeera Television stated in a commentary article titled "The US embargo on Cuba has failed" that the United States should acknowledge the failure of these 60 year sanctions and put an end to the suffering imposed on the Cuban people.