Beating the Cuban Blockade
One Caribbean Nation.
Beating the Blockade
 |
| Professor Tennyson Joseph |
By Tennyson Joseph
SINCE THE FIVE English -speaking Caribbean countries abstained( Jamaica, Guyana) and absented themselves ( Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia and Dominica) from voting on the Cuban resolution in the United Nations denouncing the United States blockade, there has been outpouring of bewilderment from ordinary Caribbean people.
Indeed , one positive outcome of the Caribbean's unwillingness to vote decisively is that it has galvanised ordinary people in defence of Cuba.
Words like “cowardice” or “betrayal” are now on the
lips of the people.
Unfortunately, Caribbean leaders have often
acted contrary to popular wishes since people do not
vote on “global” issues. It is time to narrow the gap
between “global” and “local” politics.
It is the search for concrete actions to “beat the
blockade” which animates this article. While we
may lament the failure of Caribbean leaders to take
a bold stance, it is more important to offer solutions
to overcome their failures.
There is little doubt that US officials, in
their current push to destroy the Cuban revolution,
would have placed tremendous pressure on
carefully selected individual Caribbean
leaders and threats of visa bans
would have featured heavily
in these conversations.
It is also beyond
doubt that, judging
from their
absences and
abstentions,
these
Caribbean
leaders
were fearful
of the
potential
catastrophic
electoral
fallout if such
threats were
actualised.
To overcome
this fear several
responses can be
proposed. First, there
should be mass Caribbean
mobilisations and demonstrations,
like the anti-apartheid period, to encourage
their electorally paranoid governments. When
isolated, Caribbean governments can easily be
picked off.
A mobilised Caribbean public will not only
show positive support for Cuba but will also
fortify incumbents against the opportunism of
opposition groups.
The case of Barbados, with its 30-0 Parliament
shows how a unified country can facilitate boldness
in international relations.
Secondly, Caribbean governments must respect
long-held cross-CARICOM bloc voting on major
global issues. That St Kitts and Nevis and
St Vincent and the Grenadines could vote with
Cuba while Jamaica and Guyana could not is
proof that there were no pre-vote CARICOM
consultations, since it is hard to imagine how these
large countries could fail to be emboldened by the
courage of states like Grenada and St Kitts.
Finally, instead of helplessly bemoaning
the loss of US student and other visas over which
they have no control, Caribbean countries can
and must use their sovereign power to pursue
alternative options with other globally powerful
states. It is entirely feasible for Caribbean and other
Global South countries to collectively engage China
with a view to establishing a university system to
absorb the thousands of students denied access
to the US, on the model of the Soviet Union’s
famous Patrice Lumumba International Friendship
University (which educated Bharrat Jagdeo),
but on a grander scale.
The Cuban people now need our higher selves to
emerge. We must rediscover it urgently.
Tennyson Joseph is Associate Professor of political science at North Carolina Central University
Email tjoe2008@live.com
From Nation Newspaper Barbados, Thursday, November 12th. 2026
Comments