Cuba - the untold story

Fidel Castro reached his 80th birthday on Sunday, recovering from the intestinal surgery he had two weeks ago, he survives as the one of the world's longest-ruling leaders, and has outlasted nine US presidents during his time.

Castro became Cuban president 47 years ago after leading the overthrow of (US backed dictator) Fulgencio Batista. Then Cuba, a developing country; was a playground for playboys, where gambling and prostitution was rife. The distribution of wealth was only between a few; many people were living in poverty and this had led to calls for something to be done. In fact it was claimed that before the revolution, non-Cubans controlled 75% of Cuban land.

When the revolution took place, many Cubans (mostly upper/ middle class that suffered from the revolutionary laws) fled to the United States and settled in Miami. Most of them were hoping for a quick return to Cuba but the US attempt to overthrow Castro did not materialise in The 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion.

A trade embargo was placed against Cuba by the United States and because of this Castro forged alliances with the Soviet Union during the Cold War period. The trade embargo hit Cuba very hard. The country relies heavily on imports, but such is the sway of American power, the US imposes sanctions against any country that trades with Cuba.

The United Nations General Assembly voted many times for an end to the United States' economic embargo against Cuba but time after time three nations kept voting against the motion - the US, Israel and the Marshall Islands.

An embargo is something that we normally do in times of war. Sometimes we use an embargo against a country whose misconduct has been condemned by the international community, but that is not the case with Cuba.

What have they done wrong, why are they not given a chance? Does Cuba posses a threat to the United States?

The old Soviet Union has long gone. There are no more missiles aimed at the US. In fact the United States have a famous naval base in Cuba that has more weaponry than the Cuban Government - oh yes, Guantanamo Bay. I don’t need to tell you what it is being used for now!

Is it because the Cuban government is communist and is a threat to Capitalism? There’s no restriction for China (the new most favoured US trading nation) or Vietnam and any other communist countries (what's left of them).

Is it because those who fled Cuba after the revolution (and their children, many who have never been to Cuba) are a powerful lobby and dictate a strong voting power in Florida?). Florida is a key seat in the US and the growing population of Hispanics may dictate the US foreign policy towards Cuba. Maybe they are waiting for Castro to die before doing anything?

Whatever the reason it needs to stop. The childish games have caused enough suffering to the Cuban people, especially children. Lift the trade embargo, this will help the Cuban people economically & socially, it will also help farmers in the USA increase business, it might also make Americans popular in the world stage! for sure, it is the only way foreword, it is the right thing to do.

Some facts that you might not know:
(1) As a schoolboy, Castro wrote to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asking him for a ten-dollar bill. In 1940 Fidel wrote in his letter: "I have not seen a ten dollars bill green American and I would like to have one of them".

(2) Castro studied law at Havana University from 1950-1952, where he read the works of Karl Marx and discovered his passion for politics.

(3) Cuban officials said in 1999 that Castro had been the subject of 637 assassination plots (mostly from the CIA).

(4) Castro gave up smoking cigars for health reasons in the mid-1980s. Despite giving up cigars, Castro still gives boxes of Habanos to friends and favoured visitors.

(5) Due to the US trade embargo - basic items such as powdered milk (for babies) had to be purchased from as far away as New Zealand.

(6) In 1989, the World Health Organization extolled Cuba's health care system as a "model for the world." It was considered much better than any developed country such as the UK or USA.

(7) In the recent earthquake in Pakistan, Cuba sent 2,260 medical staff (including 1,430 doctors) to work in the worst hit areas, setting up approximately 32 medical camps. The US government (an ally of Pakistan) donated 1 medical camp.

(8) Cuba was ready to send a similar medical help to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans – but the American Government (who were very under resourced) declined any help from Cuba.

(9) 200 million children in the world sleep in the streets today. None of them are Cuban.

(10) Cuba has a low illiteracy rate, low infant mortality and high life expectancy than most of its neighbouring countries.



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