The Cuban Government’s Obsession with the Word “Blockade”

By Benjamín Noria

HAVANA TIMES – Look, every time I hear a speech by the president of Cuba or read a page of a newspaper in the country, the word “blockade” appears at least 20 times, and I am not exaggerating.

I believe that the Cuban government has taken the word “blockade” as a Fetish.

In this writing I refer to Fetish as: the use of an object as the preferred way to satisfy a need and its fixation through a prolonged habit. Although fetishism also means divinization of things and objects, attributing mysterious and supernatural forces to them; and finally, the use of an object as the preferred way to become sexually aroused.

So, after the Cuban government finishes admitting the deficiencies that exist in the country, it justifies with… guess what?… the “blockade.”

For example, I have heard from them that because of the “blockade” the sugar industry has fallen into utter decline; Also because of the “blockade” blackouts happen; There is a lack of basic medicines, there is little food to sell in the ration stores, the USD and Euro exchange rate has increased, there is inflation in the prices of various basic products to satisfy the needs of the population.

The only thing missing is for the government to blame the “blockade” for the appearance of hurricanes, earthquakes, electrical storms, floods due to intense rains and I don’t know what else.

What trouble they go through to avoid recognizing that the country’s economy is depressed by their follies. It’s not the “blockade” at all. We all know here that the fault for the deficiencies and ruin that exists is because there has never been the political will to make reforms to correct the deficiencies.

They continue to improvise economic solutions that they know will not amount to anything beyond the aim of buying time to fatten their bank accounts abroad and favor the private businesses they have under their control. Meanwhile, they continue to attribute the cause of all their ravings to the poor “blockade.”

There is one thing that I must clarify. In reality, what the United States does economically to Cuba is not a “blockade”, but an embargo. The problem is that upon the triumph of the revolution, the Commander in Chief, forcibly expropriated the properties of the magnates that existed and did not offer them the corresponding compensation, nor even hold a dialogue to reach peaceful and mutually accepted agreements.

Of course, this must be paid for. And reality has shown that the Cuban people are the ones who pay, because they the leaders live well and lack nothing.

Title III of the Helms-Burton Act allows those companies that have had a relationship with the properties of US citizens that Cuba illegally confiscated at the beginning of the revolution and that were seized unfairly and arbitrarily to be sued before United States courts.

I won’t judge whether the application of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act is fair or unfair because I also believe that the former US owners have the right to receive compensation for assets expropriated in Cuba.

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