News

Cuba and the Children of Chernobyl

It is a little know fact that Cuba provided medical treatment and care to more children affected by the Chernobyl disaster than any other country in the world. According to official figures, over 25,000 children from the affected areas of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were treated in Cuba’s healthcare system between 1990 and 2011, thanks to the island nation’s humanitarian aid program. This is because the island nation’s humanitarian aid program received little media coverage in the West, despite its significant impact on the lives of thousands of affected children.

Over 150 youth leaders from the US will travel to Cuba for International Workers’ Day

While reactionary legislators in the US want to enshrine Cuba’s membership on the politicized “State Sponsors of Terrorism” list into law, people in the US have a different view of Cuba. Cuba has slowly become more and more favorable in the eyes of the US population, with favorability climbing from 10% in 1997 to 42% in 2023. Youth especially are more likely to oppose US sanctions against Cuba. Many of the young leaders traveling to Cuba express the desire to fight the blockade against Cuba once they return home.

What Elián González Wants for Cuba

What ever happened to Elián González? Belly of the Beast’s Liz Oliva Fernández recently sat down with Elián, now 29 and a father of a 2-year-old daughter, to talk about migration, family, and Cuba’s future. Elián lives a modest life in his hometown of Cárdenas, just a few blocks from his father. As a recently elected lawmaker in Cuba he hopes to improve relations with the United States and the Cuban-American community.

The State of Caba-US Relations: An Interview with Dr.José Ramón Cabañas

In January 2023, Dr José Ramón Cabañas travelled to Britain to talk about his book, US-Cuba Relations: The Inside Story of the 2014 Breakthrough. Dr Cabañas was head of Cuba’s US Interests Section on 17 December 2014, when Presidents Raúl Castro and Barack Obama announced rapprochement and the restoration of diplomatic relations. His new book explains the background and significance of this historic moment in international relations. Helen Yaffe caught up with Cabañas in London. First published by Counter Punch.

The Absurdity of Listing Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism

Trump placed Cuba on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. Now the State Dept has reasserted the designation in February. Calla Walsh, the co-chair of the National Network on Cuba, explains its immense impact on the blockade on Cuba and how the US uses the “terrorist” designation politically.

The EU Blocking Statute

The EU Blocking Statute, designed to protect EU companies from the extraterritorial effects of certain U.S. sanctions laws, also applies to the EU banking system. However, some EU banks have been accused of violating the Statute by blocking transactions with Cuba or with the word “Cuba” in the transaction description, thereby illegally complying with U.S. sanctions.

Despite the EU’s efforts to protect its economic interests and uphold international law, some EU banks have chosen to prioritise compliance with U.S. sanctions over the EU Blocking Statute. This has led to criticism that the Statute has been underutilised and that EU companies continue to comply with U.S. sanctions, thereby undermining the EU’s efforts to protect its economic interests.