US blockade of Cuba

[Flo]

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: "The wealth in Cuba is controlled by a company owned by military generals who take all the money. This is a country where people are literally eating garbage from the streets, but this company is sitting on $16 billion. It’s a broken nonfunctional economy."

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"… and if I had my way, I would be the one sitting on all that money!"

 

[Helen]

Sounds like the US. Only on a far smaller scale.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Department of State
@StateDept
SECRETARY RUBIO: The Cuban people should know there’s $100 million of food and medicine available for them right now and the only reason it’s not reaching them is because of the Cuban regime

video in link

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Department of State
@StateDept
SECRETARY RUBIO: The Cuban people should know there’s $100 million of food and medicine available for them right now and the only reason it’s not reaching them is because of the Cuban regime

video in link

I presume what he actually means is it's not reaching them because of the Cuban regime continuing to exist.

He contrives to make that sound as if there's all this free food and medicine with no strings attached but the Cuban government just don't want it. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in assuming what he actually means is "Replace your government with one we like and we'll think about ending our decades-long siege of your country".

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Bloodless coup?

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Bloodless coup?

In which country?

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

One of the boring ones if it's actually bloodless. Remember the rule: If it bleeds, it leads.

 

[thaiboxerken]

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: "The wealth in Cuba is controlled by a company owned by military generals who take all the money. This is a country where people are literally eating garbage from the streets, but this company is sitting on $16 billion. It’s a broken nonfunctional economy."

video in link

Wow. They aren't self-aware at all, are they?

 

[dann]

Department of State @StateDept
SECRETARY RUBIO: The Cuban people should know there’s $100 million of food and medicine available for them right now and the only reason it’s not reaching them is because of the Cuban regime

Consider what $100 million means – divided by 10-11 million inhabitants

What the USA is currently doing to Cuba is not just atrocious, but the Trump administration is also incredibly stingy.
What is $100 million in comparison to what Trump and his cronies are raking in for themelves on a daily basis through corruption?
The Trump administration also considered offering Greenlanders money to become an American colony:

Exclusive: Trump administration mulls payments to sway Greenlanders to join US (Reuters, Jan 9, 2026)
While the exact dollar figure and logistics of any payment are unclear, U.S. officials, including White House aides, have discussed figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Compare this to:

A guide to understanding Greenland’s nascent economy (ArcticToday, April 2, 2026)
public finances rely heavily on an annual block grant from Denmark of about DKK $605 million, roughly $10,000 per person each year.

Again: atrocious but also stingy! It's like former colonialists offering glass beads to the primitive natives. Or maybe it's because people with the arithmetic skills of Trump and RFK Jr. can't fathom that most Cubans and Greenlanders are better at doing calculations than they are!
RFK Jr claims basic math rules don’t apply to White House (The Independent on YouTube, April 24, 2026)

 

[dann]

What the world needs now is ... what the world won't get
Cuba no longer has the resources to help out.

From post 17:

Why Activists from 11 Countries Sailed to Cuba (Belly of the Beast on YouTube, Mar 26, 2026 - 2:50 min.)
"My government is the one imposing these cruel sanctions and economic warfare on the Cuban people," said an activist from the United States. "And this has been happening for over 60 years."
“The world owes Cuba,” said Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist. “Cuban doctors were among the first to fight Ebola in Africa. They went to Italy during COVID-19. That's why Italians are on this boat.”

So thank you Trump, Rubio and RFK Jr. for freeing the world from scourge of science-based medicine!
In memoriam:

Ebola West Africa: Cuba leads way on medical effort (BBC, Oct 22, 2014)
Cuba has sent a second group of medical staff to West Africa to help fight the Ebola outbreak.
The 83 doctors and nurses will treat Ebola patients in Liberia and Guinea.
Another contingent of 165 Cuban healthcare professionals travelled to Sierra Leone a few weeks ago.

Ebola outbreak: Doctor becomes 'first' Cuban diagnosed (BBC, Nov 19, 2014)
Cuba has received widespread praise after sending more than 250 medical staff to West Africa, with 200 more preparing to travel there.

Cuban doctor Felix Baez returns home after Ebola treatment (BBC, Dec 7, 2014)

Cuban medical team concludes a successful Ebola response support mission to Liberia (WHO, Mar 16, 2015)
The Cuban team was comprised of 53 medical officers including, doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, intensive care doctors, general practitioners, surgeons, pediatricians, intensive care nurses, anesthetists, and license nurses. They were among the first largest foreign medical team from a single country to respond to this outbreak.

Cuban Doctors Fought Ebola with Courage and Conviction (The Caribben Camera, May 4, 2025)
Over 250 Cuban medical professionals joined the World Health Organization’s (WHO) efforts, forming the largest single-country medical contingent in the crisis response. With a death toll surpassing 11,000 and systems overwhelmed, their work was nothing short of heroic. They treated patients, trained local health workers, and helped set up vital containment protocols. For many Cubans, it was a continuation of a long-standing policy of “medical internationalism”—sending doctors abroad to serve humanity in times of crisis.

 

[Planigale]

What the world needs now is ... what the world won't get
Cuba no longer has the resources to help out.

From post 17:


So thank you Trump, Rubio and RFK Jr. for freeing the world from scourge of science-based medicine!
In memoriam:

Yes, the US AID and CDC cuts not only mean that US input to support the fight against Bundibugyo virus (Ebola), is reduced from what it was, but they will actively penalise countries if they accepted medical assistance from Cuba. Blockading the delivery of fuel needed for civilian use is against international law (even in war time). Just as killing civilians on the high seas is.

The irony of the Trump government saying they plan to indict Raull Castro (94). They are drawing up plans to seize Castro just as they did Maduro.

Potential charges against Raúl Castro were unclear, but officials said the investigation centred on an attack on two small planes, which happened on 24 February 1996 while Fidel was president and Raúl was armed forces minister.

US planning to criminally indict former Cuban leader Raúl Castro

Charges could come as soon as next week in a case reportedly focused on Cuba's downing of two planes in 1996.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[dann]

As for the USAID cuts, as far as USAID activities were directed at Cuba, they were never about improving health care or human rights.
They were always about the US regime's attempts to instigate subversion:

ZunZuneo (Wikipedia)
ZunZuneo was an online social networking and microblogging service created by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and marketed to Cubanusers. Following recommendations by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, it was covertly developed as a long-term strategy to encourage Cuban youths to revolt against the nation's government, fomenting a political spring.

USAID reportedly sought to undermine Cuban government through HIV workshop (WashingtonBlade, Aug 4, 2014)
Reports indicate a U.S. agency hired young men from several Latin American countries to covertly undermine the Cuban government through an HIV prevention workshop and other means.

The whole idea was absurd! Cuba already had the most effective response to HIV of any Latin American country. (At this point, however, condoms are hard to come by due to the blockade!)

Approaches to the Management of HIV/AIDS in Cuba (WHO, 2004)
Cuba is one of the few developing countries to provide comprehensive health care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Key to its success has been the political will to act and not wait for external assistance. Their HIV/AIDS programme is based on a comprehensive health care system that has facilitated good control over blood transfusion and blood products as well as prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Access to antiretroviral drugs has been possible largely through Cuban resources.

As for LGBTQ+ rights, Cuba has been superior to Latin America (to say nothing about Republican homophobia in the USA) since the 1990s when the country did away with the bigotry of the early stage of the revolution in this respect and Fidel Castro apologized for the persecution of gays:
LGBTQ rights in Cuba (Wikipedia)
See also the the ISF thread: Evangelical Homophobia in Cuba

 

[dann]

More fascist war propaganda lies – and out of Kyiv, of all places???

The Kyiv Independent on bsky, May 17, 2026
Cuba seeking Russian drones, military equipment amid discussions of attack on Guantanamo Bay, Axios reports.

US intelligence reveals Cuba seeking Russian drones, military equipment amid discussions of attack on Guantanamo Bay, Axios reports
"When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it's concerning," a senior U.S. official sa...

The Kyiv Independent on bsky, May 17, 2026
Cuba has sought to acquire drones and other military equipment from Russia within the past month and is discussing plans to attack the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, targets in Key West, and U.S. military vessels, Axios reported May 17, citing unnamed U.S. officials.

Marcus on bsky, May 17, 2026
This is just the US administration's use of Axios to justify attacking Cuba. Propaganda being utilized as it is every time.

Hope Himars on bsky, May 17, 2026
PEDOtRUmp just wants an excuse to invade CUBA

Brian Ferrell on bsky, May 17, 2026
Yes that makes sense. Russia can spare some drones I’m sure. So Cuba can attack a nut job like Trump and give him a perfect pretext to annihilate their regime. Sure, makes sense … I call ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

mrg / greg v goepel / NAFO on bsky, May 17, 2026
"Unnamed US officials" associated with the most dishonest presidential administration in US history.

TRuxMintinBox on bsky, May 18, 2026
That Axios article was written by, wait for it, Marc Caputo. Caputo worked under Reagan with Oliver North and is a fierce Corey Lewandowski defender among other things.
Oh, and his mentor was ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ Roger Stone.
It’s ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊.

 

[Resume]

I wonder what this is gonna lead to?

• The Trump administration has secured criminal charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, and the Justice Department is now holding a news conference about the indictment. Sigue nuestra cobertura en español.

• The charges, which include conspiracy to kill US nationals and murder, stem from the 94-year-old Castro’s alleged role in ordering the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft belonging to the Cuban-American group Brothers to the Rescue. Four people, three of them Americans, were killed in the attack.

• Cuba is dealing with a collapse of its energy sector due to an oil blockade following the US attack on Cuba’s oil-rich ally Venezuela in January and the Trump administration’s declaration that the Cuban government presents a threat to US national security.

 

[Andy_Ross]

This is just an excuse to invade Cuba on the pretence of extradition.
Venezuela 2

Acting AG Todd Blanche announces the indictment of Raul Castro.

video in link

AG Blanche on Raul Castro Indictment: This isn't a show indictment. There is a warrant for his arrest. We expect that he will show up here by his own will or by another way.

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[dann]

Belly of the Beast on X, May 21, 2026
It’s no coincidence the Trump administration chose May 20 to announce an indictment against Raúl Castro.
May 20 is Cuba’s “Independence Day” — but only in Miami.
The date isn’t celebrated in Cuba because it marks a long history of U.S. neocolonialism.

With a video, 2:45 min.

Also on YouTube:
Why Only Miami Celebrates Cuba's "Independence Day"

 

[dann]

Former Cuban president Raúl Castro indicted on murder charges in US (ABC News, May 20, 2026)

Cuban Embassy in the US on X, May 20, 2026
MythBreakers: Exposing the Brothers to the Rescue hoax
Did the Cuban air defense forces act by surprise, or was there prior public and diplomatic notification?
There was an official, clear, and internationally known warning. In light of the inaction of foreign authorities and the imminent danger posed by the incursions, a notice known as "Information to the Public" was posted on January 15, 1996, in Trabajadores newspaper.
The document publicly warned that any aircraft violating national airspace without authorization would be intercepted and, if necessary, neutralized. On January 16, this sovereign stance was formally ratified through the delivery of Diplomatic Note No. 45 to the corresponding official channels.
The legal notice and the determination to protect the borders were signed and delivered prior to any final outcome.
@JuventudRebelde

With a video, 3:12 min.

I can recommend Canadian professor of journalism Stephen Kimber's book about this:

What Lies Across the Water – The Real Story of the Cuban Five (StephenKimber.com)
Stephen Kimber’s ninth book is a narrative nonfiction thriller about terrorists who blow up airplanes and try to overthrow governments, and intelligence agents who try to stop them. The twist is that these terrorists are not Muslim. They’re Cuban exiles. And the men trying to stop them? Cuban intelligence agents.
The Cuban Five were dispatched to Florida in the early 1990s to infiltrate militant anti-Castro exile groups hatching terrorist attacks against their country. In 1998, after the Cubans had passed on to the U.S. government information their agents had uncovered about a plot to blow up an airplane filled with Cuban beach-bound tourists, the FBI arrested … not the terrorists plotting the attack but the agents trying to stop it!

It reads like fiction. But it’s true​

There were plans to make a tv series based on the book, but the project was delayed by the pandemic and may have been abandoned at this point:

Canada’s Pictou Twist, Picture Plant, Cuban Film Institute to Tell ‘The Cuban Five’ Story (Variety, Sep 5, 2026)
Canada’s Pictou Twist Pictures and Picture Plant have partnered with Cuban film institute ICAIC to co-produce the definitive account of the Cuban Five — Cuban intelligence agents arrested on spying charges by U.S. authorities in 1998.
Pictou Twist producer Barrie Dunn has penned the screenplay on “The Cuban Five” (“Los Cinco”), which is based on Stephen Kimber’s non-fiction book “What Lies Across the Water: The Real Story of The Cuban Five.”

 

[dann]

More fascist war propaganda lies – and out of Kyiv, of all places???

Kyiv appears to have got its (dis)information from Axios:

Belly of the Beast on X, May
Axios says Cuba could attack the U.S. with drones. Buried in the same article: U.S. officials say Cuba is not an imminent threat and not planning an attack — but that doesn’t appeared on the headlines.
See the full story from journalist Liz Oliva Fernández.

With a short video, 1:50 min.

Also on YouTube:
Manufacturing a Pretext for War on Cuba

 

[Andy_Ross]

Threat of drone attacks from Cuba

NEWSMAX: This Cuba thing -- people struggle with how this is America first when gas is $4.55 a gallon

COMER: Cuba has always been a security threat

NEWSMAX: Really?

COMER: If some country went in and loaded Cuba with the same drones Iran had, yes I think it could be a threat

NEWSMAX: Sounds like a false flag

video in link

 

[Andy_Ross]

Cuba is a security threat to the USA

Miller: Many Americans may not realize but need to know, Cuba, positioned just a 45 minute flight from American shores, has been a staging ground for America's adversaries for decades. It is our last outpost of communism. American presidents for generations have tried to deal with the problem, the threat of this communist foothold just miles away from American shores. And President Trump, through his leadership and his vision, has brought us closer than ever to the day when Cuba will be free and when Cuba will no longer be a threat to America but Cuba will be a friend and partner to America, which is essential for our national security.

video in link