The recent change in relations between the United States in Cuba is an important moment for the Cuban revolution. For decades, Cuba has demanded that the United States end its aggressive stance towards the revolution and the recent changes are a step in the right direction. But what led to this change that we’re seeing? Many have credited President Obama and the United States government for having a change of heart. However, if we examine the shifts within Latin America over the last decade and a half, we will see that it was actually a result of increased pressure against the position of the U.S.
When Hugo Chavez was elected President of Venezuela in 1998, it signaled a new direction for Latin America as a whole. His message along with that of the leaders of countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and more was that they would go down an independent and progressive path rather than continue the decades-long domination of the region by U.S. imperialism. Inspired by the Cuban revolution, Chavez proclaimed that the goal of his government was to build socialism. He and Fidel Castro became close, as both countries developed economic relations that benefited both Cuba and Venezuela.
In the late 1990s, Cuba was still recovering from what is known as the “Special Period,” when the socialist bloc disappeared which had been Cuba’s main trading partner. Because of the U.S. blockade, Cuba was in many ways isolated from the rest of the world. Venezuela began to increase ties with Cuba by providing oil in exchange for medical care from Cuba. Their actions inspired the rise of parties like the MAS in Boliva, and laid the foundation for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, (ALBA).
This organization has played a leading role in shifting the politics of Latin America in recent years. ALBA has pushed for the end of the blockade against Cuba and itself represents the left wing direction of various countries in the region. Along with ALBA, other regional organizations like the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, (CELAC) have been created to peruse an independent direction for Latin America. CELAC is an alternative to the imperialist dominated Organization of American States. These organizations exist to counter the influence of the United States and are anti-imperialist in principle, which is an important development for the region as a whole considering it has long been victim to imperialist aggression.
This background is important to understand when we see some news media praising the United States and Barack Obama for taking a brave action. These regional organizations have been very clear and consistent in condemning the United States for its continued blockade against Cuba. It has been the blockade that has further isolated the United States from Latin America, so we should understand this latest move as an attempt by by the U.S. to regain credibility among the countries it has lost favor with over the years. Thus it has been the resistance to the United States in the form of regional alliances that serve as counter-weights, socially progressive government changes, and determination to fight imperialism more than anything that has allowed for this shift in policy to occur.
Some in the media believe that the move towards normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations will cause a rift between Venezuela and Cuba given that new sanctions have been placed on Venezuela by the United States. But what they leave out is that it has been the joint effort of Venezuela and Cuba together to put the U.S. in a position to where it had to deal with Cuba or face political opposition in the first place. Their alliance is not based on a simple economic exchange of oil and medical professionals but rather on the principles of socialist construction and combating imperialism.
This is a victory for the Cuban Revolution. It shows what Cuba’s influence on the rest of Latin America has accomplished by helping the region begin to develop a path of independence from U.S. imperialism. Cuba has not been a passive actor in this change in relations, sitting by and waiting for the U.S. to change its mind, but rather its actions are why we are discussing these developments. This has all been accomplished not only by not comprising on their principles of self determination and socialism, but because of those principles.
