Wise Women of Houston’s Left

Thoughts on Cuba from a few of Houston's wise mothers and grandmothers.

Maria Jimenez is a Zapatista supporter and immigrant rights activist who has been featured in the pages of Free Press in the past. To her, the opening of relations with Cuba is long overdue.

The opening of US/Cuban relations is a step that rectifies an erroneous approach to establishing long-lasting peace between peoples. Even in the Cold War years, countries in Latin America were able to maintain cultural, economic, political and social relations with Cuba. Cuba and the Cuban people are an inherent part of the history of the continent. For the rest of the continent, it made little sense that the US would view Cuba and the Cuban people as enemies. The contradiction was especially apparent when the US recognized China, a "communist country" populated by billions of people, while closing doors to a Cuba, a "communist country" with about 20 million people. Establishing diplomatic relations will strengthen mutual understandings of each others economic, social and political systems and ultimately permit both peoples to learn from each other how best to build just societies.

Alma Cooper is a socialist grandma, and a KPFT programmer. She sees much that the US could learn from Cuba.

It is possible that, in the same way that the great wave of immigrants, mostly Latin Americans, fight for the recognition of the May Day as the celebration day of the working class, the Cuban people will influence American society about other ways of living in society. They will show that it is possible to have free education, as well as medical services and social services. Americans will learn that the government has the obligation to provide that because people work daily, not to create wealth for the 1%, but for themselves. Cubans will show inventions in agro-industry and discoveries in medicine to cure what it are diagnosed as incurable diseases in the United States. Cubans have shown the world, almost from nothing, miracles that work for the people. That is the kind of society that United States wants to destroy in the name of democracy, but I have great hopes in the Cuban people to reverse these perverse plans!!

Alma objects still to the embargo, which is set to continue.

The Cuban people have faced truly heroic conditions not having access to the global market due to the economic embargo. Although the US government has not agreed to lift the embargo, I hope the Cuban and progressive American people push for an end to this criminal embargo. The Cuban people can also counter the imperialist propaganda and brainwashing that will start running in Cuba.

Alma also expressed fears that the US would use the opening of relations to further oppress Cuba.

Now that the diplomatic relations are re-established, the US government thinks that the doors will be open to spread their so-called “democracy.” Opening the embassy must not open the door to allowing interference in the lives of Cubans. The embassy could become the headquarters of the "trainers and funders" of the opposition as it has been in other countries…

Also my fear is that current employment levels, child labor (non-existent in Cuba), education, medical service, etc. might change to become a copy of the United States, to the detriment of the population. Similarly, open negotiations could initiate the compensation for property confiscated by the revolution, many of the former owners are Cuban exiles in Miami.

Lee Loe is a democratic socialist, a grandma, and a peace and justice activist. She echoes the ideas that there is much to learn from Cuba and that the embargo is oppressive.

We inhabitants of the U.S. have much to learn from the citizens of Cuba and the vibrant, egalitarian culture they are creating. I am glad that some travel restrictions placed on our two societies will be lifted, and hope that those from the U.S. who visit will respect the sovereignty and uniqueness of the Cuban people. They also need to be aware of the harshness of the embargo and how it hampers the development of healthcare, nutrition, commerce and other aspects of Cuban life. From what I understand, the embargo can only be ended by a vote of the U.S. Congress.

Lee also raises concerns about US intervention.

The comments by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have not convinced me that they now respect the independence of this nation state and are no longer planning interventions in Cuba’s internal affairs. For instance, President Obama explained that increased “contacts with the Cuban people” can “advance our interests and support for democracy and human rights.”

What are “our interests?” (Was the dictator Batista, whom we supported, acting in “our interests”?) Will we continue our interventions in Cuba’s internal affairs, which the USAID and other players have conducted? Secretary Kerry mentioned the Cuban people’s need for a “genuine democracy” and more human rights as though they had neither. But he also said we should recognize that “U.S. policy is not the anvil on which Cuba’s future will be forged.” It “is for the Cubans to shape.” I hope he means it.

Pope Francis was a key player in getting the rapprochement between the U.S. and Cuba. May he continue to monitor the situation—as so should we. We must work for the complete normalization of relations and an early end to the crippling, inhumane embargo on these amazing people.