标签： Cuba

The persistent characterization of Cuba as a ‘failed state’ by United States authorities presents a profound contradiction when examined against the island nation’s documented achievements across multiple sectors. Despite facing what historians describe as the longest-running economic embargo in modern history, Cuba maintains globally recognized education and healthcare systems that serve as models for developing nations.

The Caribbean nation’s scientific capabilities were demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic through the rapid development of sovereign vaccines, while its cultural contributions continue through internationally acclaimed ballet companies, literary figures, and athletic achievements across more than 15 Olympic disciplines.

This disparity between perception and reality stems from a deliberate campaign of economic warfare dating to 1961, including the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and Operation Mongoose. Declassified documents reveal extensive covert operations encompassing 32 specific tasks targeting Cuba’s economy, political stability, military infrastructure, and psychological welfare. Biological warfare tactics included introducing sugarcane rust, African swine fever, tobacco blue mold, and even hemorrhagic conjunctivitis targeting agricultural workers.

Contemporary pressure mechanisms include comprehensive financial restrictions preventing fuel imports, inclusion on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, and systematic obstruction of medical resources including life-saving oxygen during pandemic emergencies. Recent statements from former President Donald Trump regarding Cuba’s hypothetical collapse following Venezuelan sanctions reinforce this persistent regime change agenda.

Despite creating severe energy shortages that impact industrial production and household welfare, Cuba maintains functional governance structures absent the power vacuum characterizing genuine failed states. Canadian political scientist Kalevi Holsti’s definition of state failure as inability to generate loyalty suggests Cuba’s resilience stems from maintained public support despite external pressure. The nation’s continued stability amidst unprecedented economic warfare represents not failure but remarkable endurance against hegemonic power.

The Panamanian advocacy organization Frente Amplio por la Democracia (FAD) has issued a scathing condemnation of United States foreign policy under former President Donald Trump, characterizing it as a modern-day colonization project targeting Latin America and the Caribbean. In an official statement delivered to Prensa Latina, the group articulated grave concerns regarding what they perceive as resource-driven imperialism disguised as counter-narcotics operations.

The organization specifically referenced the armed aggression against Venezuela, which reportedly resulted in approximately 80 fatalities, including 32 Cuban internationalist combatants. FAD contends that the official narrative of combating a ‘drug-trafficking dictatorship’ served merely as a pretext for seizing control of Venezuela’s extensive petroleum reserves and other natural resources. According to their assessment, this resource grab included the alleged kidnapping attempts targeting President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

Expanding their critique beyond Venezuela, FAD highlighted the Trump administration’s confrontational approach toward multiple nations, including Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, Canada, and Iraq. This pattern of behavior, the group argues, demonstrates a consistent doctrine of global interventionism threatening national sovereignty worldwide.

In response to these developments, FAD is demanding transparency from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino regarding a memorandum of understanding established with Washington. The organization insists that the administration provide a full public accounting of its commitments to the U.S. government concerning the Panama Canal, emphasizing concerns about national sovereignty and potential foreign influence.

Concluding their statement, FAD reaffirmed their commitment to international law, self-determination principles, and peaceful dialogue. They issued a dual demand: the immediate cessation of U.S. interventionism in Venezuela and the unconditional release of President Maduro and his wife from what they describe as unlawful detention.

Colombia has issued a firm diplomatic declaration reaffirming its commitment to international principles and opposing foreign intervention in Venezuela’s affairs. During a press conference, a senior Colombian official articulated the nation’s position that any resolution to the Venezuelan situation must emerge exclusively through peaceful dialogue and the autonomous will of its citizens, without external pressure.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs presented a critical analysis of the regional instability, attributing its primary cause to economic interests centered on natural resource acquisition. The official specifically identified the United States’ fossil fuel economy as a driving force behind interventionist policies that violate fundamental international norms.

Foreign Minister Villavicencio articulated that Washington’s pursuit of energy resources has repeatedly crossed established red lines in international relations, particularly regarding respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The minister referenced historical patterns of US interventionism targeting resource-rich nations to meet economic demands.

This stance forms the foundation of Colombia’s diplomatic rejection of any external interests that seek to compromise the sovereignty of nations in their management and control of natural resources. The South American nation emphasized its unwavering defense of established diplomatic mechanisms designed to preserve peace and security throughout the region.

Colombia reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining Latin America as a Zone of Peace, advocating for solutions that prioritize dialogue over coercion and respect the self-determination of all nations in the region.

In a dramatic escalation of geopolitical tensions, Venezuela’s government has undergone a significant transition of power following what it describes as an armed attack by the United States. According to reports from the multi-state network Telesur based in Caracas, U.S. forces allegedly kidnapped constitutional President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores on January 3, transporting them to New York.

In response to this development, the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice issued an order transferring presidential powers to Delcy Rodríguez, who was formally sworn in before the National Assembly on January 5. The ceremony marked the constitutional continuation of governance amid what Venezuelan authorities characterize as an act of international aggression.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López affirmed the military’s unwavering commitment to national stability, echoing Maduro’s principle of prioritizing ‘peace as both a means and an end.’ The official emphasized the Bolivarian National Armed Forces’ (FANB) dedication to preserving Venezuela’s ‘sacred good of independence’ while demonstrating commitment to national unity.

Padrino López further declared that ‘the nation continues its unstoppable march toward economic prosperity, development, and the reconciliation of all Venezuelans,’ projecting confidence in Venezuela’s institutional resilience despite the unprecedented circumstances. The government’s statements frame recent events within a broader narrative of national sovereignty resistance against external intervention.

United Nations human rights officials have issued a stern condemnation of recent US actions against Venezuela, warning that such measures have created heightened global insecurity. Ravina Shamdasani, speaking on behalf of UN human rights authorities, declared that the January 3rd operation conducted by Washington—which involved the attempted abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores—has compromised the security of all nations.

Shamdasani emphasized that this aggressive intervention represents a clear violation of established international legal standards and fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Specifically, she referenced the Charter’s prohibition against member states threatening or using force to undermine the territorial integrity or political independence of any sovereign nation.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres separately addressed the escalating situation, expressing deep concern about the regional repercussions and potential damage to international diplomatic relations. Guterres stressed that global peace and security depend entirely on the unwavering commitment of all nations to uphold every provision of the UN Charter without exception.

The Secretary-General further elaborated that comprehensive respect for the Charter must be accompanied by adherence to all applicable legal frameworks, with particular attention to preserving the political independence and territorial integrity of states.

Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Samuel Moncada, simultaneously demanded immediate respect for his country’s sovereignty and the unconditional release of President Maduro and his wife, characterizing their detention as an illegal act of aggression that requires urgent international resolution.