Biden says U.S. stands with Cuban people, protests are a 'clarion call for freedom'

[mia]

Source: Miami Herald

President Joe Biden said the United States supports the Cuban people and called their rare protests a “clarion call for freedom and relief” from the pandemic and generations of dictatorship.

“We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime,” Biden said in a statement obtained by McClatchy.

“The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights,” Biden said. “Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”

The president’s response comes one day after thousands of people took to the streets in cities and towns across Cuba, including Havana, to call for an end to the nation’s decades-old dictatorship and demand food and vaccines, as shortages of basic necessities have reached crisis proportions and COVID-19 cases have soared.


Read more: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article252725548.html

[Omnipresent]

1. Cuba, wether it's communist or not, is still a poor nation.

They need help with vaccines from not just the U S, but from the international community as well.

[bahboo]

2. open Cuba up and let the dollars pour in....

still can't believe we have the same stupid policy. A good start by Obama, now let's finish it...

[eissa]

3. A long time coming

The revolution was never about replacing one caudillo with another. We've abandoned our leftist allies in Cuba simply because the right hates Castro. A dictator is still a dictator, no matter the political spectrum. This does not mean our hands our clean, nor does it absolve the Cuban government of its oppressiveness - there is much blame to go around, and the Cuban people are the ones who have paid the heaviest price.

[Jay25]

4. Those same rights need to be respected in the US also.

The US is a country where insurrectionists are considered patriots for exercising their rights to supporting a false claim and allowed to commit crimes and walk away; while, at the same time, BLM peaceful protesters are pepper sprayed, attacked, sometimes abused and arrested by police.

Minority voting rights, protesting and rights period, are under attack by republicans in the US.
Minorities can’t even get the Supreme Court to “stand“ for the Democracy to which they were sworn to protect.

[yaesu]

6. Yes, we have a lot to fix right here. The Best thing the US can do is continue to strengthen ties

between the 2 countries that Obama started and the orange fascist reversed.

[yaesu]

5. Decades of US embargos never helped the Cuban people that is for sure. nt

[Marrah_Goodman]

7. Well, they do have the world's coolest collection of antique cars

Sadly those don't prevent covid and you can't, or rather shouldn't eat them.

[yaesu]

11. I think the vast majority are just the shells of antiques as the mechanics have been replaced by

by whatever foreign engines, transmissions, ect they could get their hands on that fit. But still cool looking and functioning.

[Jilly_in_VA]

8. The embargo should be stopped

It was stupid after a short time anyway and never did anybody any good. I think it just got to be a habit after awhile. Also relations should be normalized. We have relationships with a lot worse governments. Anyway, the Castros are gone. Get over it.

Cuba does a lot of good in the world, sending doctors and medical help wherever needed.They also have done a good job protecting their own environment. We should be able to help them and they could help us. Also we should give Guantanamo back.

[groundloop]

14. YES!!! Let Cuba export their rum and cola to the US - I'll be their best customer !!!

Their TuKola (made with cane sugar) is SO much better than the HFCF crap available here, and Cuba also produces some fantastic rum. I was able to travel to Cuba before the orange buffoon stopped it, and brought back quite a bit of Cuban rum (I don't smoke so only brought back a couple of cigars as gifts). Sadly my supply is exhausted and in dire need of replenishing.

The people I talked to in Cuba were wonderful, those are the ones being hurt by the idiotic embargo.

[Hulk]

9. Then lift the fooking punitive sanctions!

This is all such bull shit. Sure the people are rebelling. They see the rest of the world prospering, and communism is keeping the poorest fed and given medical attention....but WE are responsible for starving their economy with 50 years of oppressive sanctions because they refused to allow us to overthrow their government and install our puppet.

This is insane!

[Jay25]

10. +++++

[IronLionZion]

12. Open up trade and travel

lift those sanctions. At least let Puerto Rico trade with them since they're so close.

[multigraincracker]

13. "The Cuban people are bravely asserting fundamental and universal rights,"

Biden said. “Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected. The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves.”

Where were we when Big Sugar and the Mob backed Batiste? Castro was the answer at the time.

[marie999]

15. One of the main reasons for the embargo was to help the companies in the US that grow sugar cane.