by Dr. E. Faye Williams
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – I was afforded the honor of traveling to Cuba. Representing Mayor Johnny Ford and the World Conference of Mayors, Dr. Lezli Baskerville of HBCU’S, and The Dick Gregory Society, on a fact-finding mission with about 25 others. Dr. Ron Daniels, leader of the Institute of the Black World, invited us to go to Cuba to do fact-finding about the situation there since the total blockade of their nation by the Trump Administration, led by Secretary Marco Rubio (a CUBAN) The country is not bothering the United States. As a matter of fact, the Cuban people have done a great job defending people around the word, including the Congo, that is now in need of much help with Ebola.
The Cubans are not bothering us. They are known for helping the United States with COVID containment and training young doctors who might never have had an opportunity to study medicine. As a matter of fact, we were blessed to meet two young students from the United States who are currently studying in Cuba. They were eloquent in sharing with us their challenges with studying and doing simple things like preparing their meals due to the U.S. blockade of essentials like fuel to keep the lights on and the inability to use their gas stoves. Many of the doctors there are trained and return to the United States, others go back to their home countries or to other countries often in crisis.
We visited a hospital where doctors, nurses and key personnel shared with us the high rise of deaths of innocent babies and mothers. Due to this severe blockade, several doctors were choked up telling their stories about their experience without proper medication and equipment to provide their patients with the best service. The other challenge for them and others is to get to work due to the lack of fuel to drive.
We saw neighborhoods in the city without the ability to have garbage pickup due to the lack of fuel to run the trucks. No one should have to live under the harsh conditions caused by the United States and our uncaring regime. While we, in the United States are suffering from the actions of the leaders of this country, we are not prevented from getting help from others. Yes, under the current administration, we are experiencing hard times in this land of plenty, but it’s hard to find a word to describe what our so-called leaders are doing to innocent Cubans.
School children are experiencing hard times studying at night because the power is frequently off. While in restaurants at night, the lights go off in the middle of dinner; yet the Cuban people welcomed us and gave us their very best. They love the people of America and can’t understand why Trump and Rubio have chosen to deny them basic goods and services with this inhumane blockage.
We mostly met with ordinary citizens who shared their challenges with Trump, Hegseth and Rubio’s challenges. What is it that makes them feel heroic about killing babies, denying medicine to the sick and what causes little children to be on the street begging for something to eat?
We spent much of our time with ordinary people, but we were blessed with meetings of substance with neighborhoods to high level officials such as the General Assembly, Deputy Ministers that included women in very high positions and the Cuban President—all of whom are facing challenges by the blockade just to do their jobs for the people. Not just what we heard, but what we witnessed, it was easy to label the U.S. Administration CRUEL and UNCARING about the suffering of the people.
So many people in the world, including Americans, have benefitted from the research,the medical and military assistance—yet our leaders turned a blind eye to their goodness, and want to go to war against innocent Cuban people to prove their manhood!