And One Glaring Difference!!
The islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico are both stalwarts in the Caribbean Sea. But they have more than geography in common. After the Spanish American War in 1898, both Cuba and Puerto Rico came under the domination of the United States. And in this last week of Sept.-2017, both Cuba and Puerto Rico are still reeling and trying desperately to recover from the massive devastation left behind by Hurricane Irma.
But beyond the similarities, Cuba and Puerto Rico are vastly different, as the above map illustrates. After the Spanish American War in 1898 Puerto Rico became a U. S. Territory, which it remains today. Cuba, on the other hand, treasured independence and sovereignty. It had fought two bloody but losing wars trying desperately to wrest itself from the yoke of Spain's imperialist empire. With Cuba the main prize, the U. S. followed up those two wars by easily defeating a weakened and over-extended Spain in 1898. No Cuban was on hand when the Treaty of Paris put Cuba under the U. S. boot, still without independence and sovereignty. The U. S. Platt Amendment quickly solidified that situation, resulting in "legal" U. S. troops controlling the island and even "in perpetuity" the occupation of plush Cuban land and waters to create a massive U. S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba then bided its time as a playpen and piggy bank for rich Americans till 1952 when right-wingers in the Eisenhower administration sicced the Mafia on Cuba in support of the brutal and thieving but U.S.-friendly Batista dictatorship. That quickly spawned a revolution that -- on the first day of January in 1959 -- shocked the world by defeating the U.S.-backed Batista-Mafia dictatorship. But within weeks the Batistiano-Mafiosi leaders had resurrected their dictatorship on U. S. soil, establishing Little Havana in Miami as their new capital. If the 1959 revolutionary triumph shocked the world, an even bigger shock has been the startling longevity of Revolutionary Cuba extending to this very day -- September 27th-2017 -- despite the massive and continuous daily efforts of the Batistianos, Mafiosi, and the U. S. government to overthrow the Cuban Revolution.
In recent weeks the whole world has witnessed video proof of Hurricane Irma's deadly path of destruction that rampaged through the very vulnerable Caribbean Islands, including the sovereign nation of Cuba and the U. S. Territory of Puerto Rico.
While some smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean were almost totally destroyed by Hurricane Irma, both Puerto Rico and Cuba suffered devastation that will take many months to heal...and total recoveries may never be possible. In fact, many of the 3.4 million Puerto Ricans -- all of whom are U. S. citizens -- are anxious to vacate their nation as a lost cause and permanently join millions of other Puerto Ricans in South Florida or New York. Puerto Rico, despite being a U. S Territory, was already bankrupt and unable to pay billions of dollars it owed to Wall Street banks and Hedge Fund billionaires. But Hurricane Irma also pointed out the tremendous advantages Puerto Rico has over Cuba. The Superpower U. S. government and military is obligated to come to Puerto Rico's aid; President Trump will visit Puerto Rico next week. Meanwhile, the U. S. government -- and specifically its embargo of Cuba that has been in effect since 1962 -- leaves Cuba pretty much fending for itself, with U. S. pressure even dissuading other nations from aiding Cuba because of the world's Superpower supporting the cruel, revengeful, and greedy appetites of a few hard-line Cuban-Americans. Instead of being targeted by a crippling embargo, Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane Irma is being helped by the U. S. government and countless other sources, including multi-millionaire Puerto Ricans in America. Carlos Beltran, the Houston Astros baseball player, himself is sending two plane-loads of supplies to Puerto Rico. Rich celebrities Jennifer Lopez, her ex-husband Marc Anthony, and her current boyfriend Alex Rodriguez are arranging for millions-of-dollars of Puerto Rican aid. No such luck for Cuba although a plethora of Cuban baseball players are making up to $30 million-a-year in the U. S. Major Leagues.
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Hurricane Irma caused ten deaths in Cuba and destroyed thousands of homes and severely damaged thousands more. The photo above, taken for the Associated Press by Ramon Espinosa, shows a teenage Cuban on a street in Havana after he rescued the little girl and then took her to safety on a floating block of styrofoam.
These Cubans, severely punished all their lives by the embargo and other U. S. cruelties, are punished all the more when calamities like Hurricane Irma pummel the island. The embargo shames America in the eyes of the world but its democracy also surprises the world by being unable or unwilling to correct it.
So, the island nations of Puerto Rico and Cuba have much in common -- including the Spanish-American War of 1898, which was fought entirely on Cuban soil but had an outcome that put both islands under the vast umbrella of the nearby United States. Puerto Rico emerged meekly as a U. S. Territory that now has 3.4 U. S. citizens who are receiving massive support from the U. S. but desires and expects more after the devastation of Hurricane Irma. Cuba emerged pugnaciously in 1959, via an historic revolution, as a sovereign nation but one still coveted and still targeted by the rich, powerful, and revengeful revolutionary losers. Thus, today's vastly dissimilar recoveries from the ravages of Hurricane Irma reflect many historical and topical nuances, including the difference between being a U. S. Territory supported by America and a sovereign nation targeted by America. When you toss in the caveat of America being the world's economic and military superpower, you can comprehend the difference between the U. S. Territory and the very sovereign nation of Cuba.
The Spanish-American War drastically reshaped and redefined the Caribbean islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico as well as the world's image of the United States.
But not as much as the Cuban Revolution:
The Revolutionary impact has exceeded the War.
And by the way:
The photo above shows Collin Laverty, one of America's top experts on U.S.-Cuba relations, giving an updated report yesterday -- Sept. 26th, 2017 -- on Cuba's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Irma. Shown against a backdrop of the famed Hotel Nacional, he said, "Cuba took a real pounding from Hurricane Irma...but now, however, most areas of the capital and the other key cities that are frequented by foreign travelers are ready to receive visitors. Places open for business include Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Venales, and the cities of Camaguey and Holguin."
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