The Cuban and Haitian Crises:
What’s the Wider Impact?
Riots in Cuba and an assassination in Haiti may not seem that important in the scope of world news. But these Caribbean nations hold positions vital to American and world interests. by Darris McNeely
America in ownership of automobiles and telephones, and first in the number of television sets per inhabitant. Cubans could enter and leave the country freely” (Guy Milliere, “The Cuban People Deserve Freedom: Where Is the US Help?” Gatestone Institute, July 25, 2021). Government reaction to the recent protests was swift. Internet access was restricted along with a news blackout. A lid was put on a simmering cauldron, and information has been slow to come out. Perceptions of Cuba are uneven and skewed by misinformation and lack of freedoms, with contact between Cuba and America kept to a minimum. While the nation lies only 100 is happening and understand why it’s ince the 1823 formulation of miles off the Florida coast, traveling what’s called the Monroe Doc- important in global terms. there has been restricted. Cuban refutrine (named after President Unrest in Cuba gees have built a strong presence in James Monroe), America has In July mass demonstrations broke Florida and the larger United States. generally considered any other major Baby boomers remember proximout in 20 cities across the island power’s influence in the Western Hemisphere to be unwelcome—near- nation of Cuba. Since 1959 Cuba has ity as a past concern, particularly in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when been ruled by the socialist dictatorby neighbors having an impact on the Russian-led Soviet Union placed ship set up by Fidel Castro, now in U.S. interests. nuclear-tipped missiles on the island. the hands of his successors. What Recent demonstrations in Cuba was a prosperous island nation in the The resulting standoff brought the and a political assassination in Haiti 1950s is today a broken and impover- two nuclear superpowers to the brink bring to our attention these two in the classic example of Cold War Caribbean nations and their strategic ished country run by a corrupt elite. hostilities. “All available data . . . show that importance to the balance of world Today it’s popular for critics of power. Should an outside major pow- before Castro took power, Cuba was American policy to blame Cuba’s er gain influence or, worse, some level far from being in a disastrous situpoverty on the American embargo ation. In 1958, the Cuban income of control over these two countries, of goods and services through the a grave threat would sit next door to per capita was double that of Spain decades. But this leaves a lot out of the United States. A little-understood and Japan. Cuba had more doctors the story. Cuba has been free to trade dynamic in biblical geopolitics would and dentists per capita than Britain. with any other nation. When the Cuba was second per capita in Latin also be changing. Let’s look at what
Map by Shaun Venish/123RF
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