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JA must plan to counter an embargo-free Cuba
Monday, November 02, 2009
Dear Editor,
The United Nations General Assembly has voted 187-3 in favour of lifting the embargo against communist Cuba. The three nays were the US, Israel and Palau. Among the ayes were Jamaica, Cuba's closest neighbour, but is lifting the embargo against Cuba in Jamaica's best interest?
While we support the right of the Cuban people to self-determination and acknowledge the embargo as the most overt example of US international hypocrisy, lifting the decades-old embargo at this time is not in our best interest.
In the interest of democracy, the right to self-determination should not be limited to the leaders of Cuba but should extend to the people of Cuba. In the interest of international fair play and co-operation, we openly criticise the overt hypocrisy of the Bush and Obama administrations in assigning "most favoured nation" status to Communist China while continuing its embargo against the people of Cuba. For as far as I can remember there have never been any atrocities committed against the Cuban people by its leaders comparable to the Tiananmen Square crackdown of June 3-4, 1989.
The opening up of Cuba, however, will certainly reduce international resources coming into Jamaica. The novelty of a newly opened Cuba, the mystique of what was "behind the curtain" and a crime-free destination as opposed to the rampant crime in Jamaica will severely reduce revenues from tourism, our greatest earner. It is in our best interest to draft a national strategy for the eventuality of an open Cuba.
Furthermore, with its present structure of government, Cuba would have an unfair advantage deciding salary levels and other advantages of a closed, planned economy when compared to a small, open ecomony. Cuba has had years of practice in the provision of universal health care and education. As a result, Cubans are relatively healthier and better educated than Jamaicans. Jamaica would do well to put its energies into a plan to counter an embargo-free Cuba rather than romantising the Cuban Republic.
The embargo should be lifted when democracy comes to Cuba, when the Cuban people exercise their right under a system of universal adult suffrage. Hopefully, by then Jamaica will get its act together
Phillip A Chambers
phillipdcchambers@yahoo.com
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