Cuban Crises Serve As A Lesson on How Communism Destroys Everything It Touches

A website called Cuba Headlines reports the following (emphasis added):

The American newspaper The New York Times reported on Friday that Cuba is experiencing its most severe crisis since Fidel Castro took power in 1959, surpassing even the so-called Special Period of the 1990s following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The article highlights a combination of economic, social, and energy challenges that have severely impacted the quality of life for Cubans.

Among the issues cited are three nationwide blackouts since October, a migration crisis that has reduced the population by at least a million people since the pandemic, and a stagnant economy with bleak projections for the coming years. "In many ways,

Cuba is enduring its worst crisis since Fidel Castro took over 66 years ago, even surpassing the early 1990s when the Soviet Union's collapse left Cuba without its primary lifeline. The country has experienced three nationwide blackouts since October. Official figures indicate that the population has decreased by at least a million people, 10 percent, since the pandemic, with over 675,000 of those Cubans moving to the United States," the report emphasizes.

Amid the tenth anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, the report illustrates how Cubans cope daily with prolonged power outages, long lines at poorly stocked supermarkets, and the constant departure of family and friends abroad. "A decade ago, there was hope. Now, there is despair," several interviewees from the island summarize.

The article also points to the decline in tourism, the closure of private businesses, and the deterioration of urban infrastructure, with streets littered with garbage and an atmosphere of "a sense of misery." The preliminary report from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal) projects a 0.1% decline in Cuba's GDP by 2025, placing the country, along with Haiti, among the worst economies in Latin America.

Despite this dismal outlook, Cuba's Minister of Economy and Planning, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, recently stated that he anticipates a 1% GDP growth by 2025, based on a potential recovery in tourism, increased exports, and the revitalization of productive sectors.

The VII Report on the State of Social Rights in Cuba by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) reveals that 89% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Social media reports have shown elderly people fainting in the streets and even dying, literally, of starvation. The food crisis tops the list of social problems, followed by power outages and inflation. The document indicates that "seven out of ten Cubans have skipped breakfast, lunch, or dinner due to a lack of money or food scarcity," while only 15% can have three meals a day without interruption.

The New York Times' analysis arrives on the tenth anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the United States, underscoring the gap between the expectations for change that existed then and today's harsh reality. The regime in Havana refuses to acknowledge its incompetence and continues to blame the U.S. embargo for the downfall of the so-called Cuban revolution.

And, then there is this from CiberCuba:

The Cuban government acknowledged that it is "shameful" for the island, traditionally one of the leading sugar producers in Latin America, to be forced to import this product…

During the session of the National Assembly of People's Power, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz recalled when Raúl Castro remarked that "it would be an embarrassment to have to import sugar." He then stated, "and well, we are experiencing that embarrassment because we are importing sugar."

He emphasized that the crisis in the sector is such that the country has also stopped exporting sugar, which was a key component of the economy…

The situation reflects an alarming regression of an industry that, in its golden age, positioned Cuba among the leading exporters of sugar worldwide. With only 15 sugar mills operating in the current harvest, the sugar industry faces an uncertain outlook, and citizens continue to bear the consequences of the crisis…

The sugar industry in Cuba has faced a prolonged crisis due to historical issues such as poor machinery maintenance, fuel shortages, and adverse weather conditions. Despite government efforts to revitalize the sector, production has declined drastically, forcing the country to import sugar to meet domestic demand.

The problem, in other words, is Communism. Communists are incapable of managing anything, whether it be electricity or sugar production, and inevitably kill all opportunity. The left, of course, always wants to blame America and our embargo, but that's nonsense. They worked hard to destroy Cuba and managed to run it out of not only power but also sugar, which, in Cuba, is like running out of stones in Vermont, trees in the Adirondacks, or wheat in Kansas.

But, it's Cuba's proposed solution to its energy crisis that proves the point:

Cuba plans to ramp up its solar power capacity, often through Chinese suppliers, which should stabilise its electricity supply and help the country meet climate goals. The aim is that by 2030 almost a quarter of the nation’s energy will come from renewable sources.

“They’ve really accelerated it now,” Dr Morris said. “It was 95 per cent run on fossil fuels, their electricity grid. It’s already coming down to 90 per cent. They’ve got ambitious targets which people looked at and thought, ‘They’re never going to make it.’ Now that it’s such a priority I think they will.”

This greater priority given to the energy transition could, Dr Morris said, lead to a strengthening of ties between Cuba and countries, such as China…

Yeah, that’ll work, just like it has for Germany. And, isn't interesting how China is now replacing the Soviet Union and will own Cuba and treat its citizens like slaves. Communism always delivers!

#Cuba #Electricity #Communism #Sugar #China #EnergySecurity