Cuba Calls Military Exercises after Trump Victory in USA
HAVANA TIMES – Just hours after Donald Trump became the president elect of the United States, the Cuban government announced today that it will carry out military exercises throughout the country for three days to confront the “different actions of the enemy”, reported dpa news.
The military maneuvers (November 16-18) called “Bastion” were announced after knowing the electoral victory of Donald Trump, although Cuban authorities did not link the announcement to the election results.
The exercises will include “movement of troops and war material, aviation flights and explosions in cases where required,” said the official newspaper “Granma“.
In 1980, the first “Bastion” maneuvers took place after the victory in the US presidential elections of republican Ronald Reagan. Since then, seven such military exercises have been carried out.
Cuban officials had maintained a neutral position in the US election and have avoided expressing preferences between Clinton and Trump.
But the victory of Donald Trump raises doubts on the island whether he will maintain the opening policy initiated by Barack Obama that has meant the reestablishment of the diplomatic relations after decades of confrontation.
During the long campaign, at first Trump assured that the thaw with Cuba was positive and that it was necessary to continue the rapprochement between both countries.
However that position began to change when Trump traveled to Miami and threatened to reverse the rapprochement between Washington and Havana.
“The next president can change that policy and that’s what I’m going to do unless the Castro regime lives up to our demands,” Trump said during a speech in Florida in September.
It’s difficult to distinguish differing degrees of horrible. As you know, I’m no fan of Obama, but he was far better human being than either of Hillary or Trump.
You must REALLY dislike Hillary to say she was no better than Trump. She was not a good candidate but I genuinely believe she would have been a much better President than Trump will be. I was going to really miss Obama either way.
Exactly N.J.! And let’s not forget why Obama began his rapprochement with the Cuban government in the first place… it had nothing to do with doing the right thing for the Cuban people… it was all about business. Remember ALBA, when the membership threatened to boycott the annual conference if the US didn’t agree to allow Cuba to attend? The member nations of ALBA and CELAC who sympathize with Cuba’s plight are now calling the shots regarding US foreign policy directed towards Cuba. Trump will understand this too, and he’ll do nothing to reverse course with the Cuban government, because as you said, he’s always looking to make the deal, and in reality, his deals bearing fruit will be better made in conjunction with the Latin Ameican nations and their now exploding economies in a world where many others are flat-lining. That includes appeasing them through further rapprochement with Cuba too. Trump is not stupid… he’ll easily understand the tick-tack-toe of putting together the deals for expanded trade throughout this hemisphere.
http://www.coha.org/21st-century-regionalism-where-is-latin-america-headed/
Unlikely that Trump goes backwards. He is a non interventionist nationalist. He is a transactional business man. He likes to make deals. Unlikely that he will demand changes in human rights or democracy. Rather his demands will be more along lines of settling old property claims and business protection policies.
As if squeezing a few more concessions out of Obama was all up to Raul. Griffin, I think you need to get a grip too.
It is a depressing outcome, but Hillary was no better, just another version of an unfit candidate. Heaven help America, she’ll need it.
The one positive note in this mess is the fact Raul is now kicking himself, wishing he had squeezed a few more concessions out of Obama when he had the chance.
You are right on both points. My post-election depression meds had not kicked in when I wrote that comment.
Trump is not going to attack Cuba. Get a grip. By the time Trump is inaugurated, the Cuban army will be safely back in their barracks.
You know very well this Cuban military operation is aimed at those the Castro regime sees as the real enemy: the Cuban people. It’s a show of strength from a frightened gerontocracy.
Excellent point. Let’s be frank, militarily, Cuba wouldn’t last 24 hours against a US military invasion. Cuban military exercises will only provoke such an invasion, especially if it is accompanied with anti-US rhetoric. Trump is crazy. In the past, the Castros could count on the civility of the US leaders to respond to Cuban provocation in a moderate fashion. With Trump, and his acolytes, anything is possible.
And that’s how they fuel a maniac into making things worse for them.