Renewed Pleas to "Let Cuba Live"

Will Trump & Rubio Let Cuba Live??

     Starting today -- January 21st in 2025 -- these two men are the two most powerful leaders in the whole world. Donald Trump, who was the 45th U. S. President, is now the 47th U. S. President. And Marco Rubio today got unanimously confirmed by the 100-person U. S. Senate as the next U.. S. Secretary of State. This photo by the London-based international BBC News network is why the world is predicting that, among other drastic and international changes, the superpower United States, after 66 years of trying to do so, will finally overthrow Revolutionary Cuba, which the Fidel Castro-led Cuban Revolution overthrew the US/Mafia-backed Batista dictatorship on the first day of January way back in 1959. Trump's first 4-year term as President almost created an overthrow of Cuba starting in 2016 when he drastically expanded the six-decade-old U. S. Embargo/Blockade of Cuba by putting the vulnerable but pugnacious island on the U. S. List of Nations That Sponsor Terrorism. And now starting on January 21st in 2025 President Trump has given Marco Rubio, as the new Secretary of State, the power to personally orchestrate the overthrow of Revolutionary Cuba. Born in Miami 53 years ago in the rich, powerful, and viciously counter revolutionary section of Miami known as Little Havana, Rubio has already since 2011 been in the U. S. Senate from Little Havana where he had led the fight to overthrow Revolutionary Cuba. Starting today, of course, it appears that Rubio will be allowed to finish the job.

               Above the plea to "Let Cuba Live" is from Michael John Kowalchuk, a journalist from Northampton, Maine. He makes a solid and strong case asking the superpower United States to permit innocent and everyday Cuban families to live in peace. Endless sanctions such as the six-decade-old Embargo that those families call a Blockade has, as expected, starved, deprived and made miserable everyday Cuban families on the island.. Among other things posted above, Michael John KowalchuK says:

             "Trump reversed Obama's limited reforms and ridiculously added Cuba to its State Sponsors of Terrorism List, which further limits the country's access to trade...!"

            

             "Despite the blockade, Cuba provides universal health care and free education {through college} to its people....!"

           "...Biden broke campaign promises to reverse Donald Trump's aggressive policies against Cuba, contributing to an economic crisis that led to an emigration of over  10% of the population. When Joe Biden was running for reelection, he hoped his hawkish policies would attract right-wing Cuban-American voters. Instead, Kamala Harris lost Florida, and the only result of Biden's gamble was suffering for Cubans. The U. S. blockade against Cuba has been in place for over 60 years, and its stated aims include inducing starvation to compel Cubans to overthrow their government. With limited exceptions, Americans are unable to travel to Cuba, so the only news they receive about the island is from the corporate media."

       Indeed, if you study the above words from Michael John Kowalchuck you note that he is one of the few American journalists to have the courage to mention that the U. S. Embargo-Blockade, which began in 1962, has as it purpose and aims "to induce starvation to compel Cubans to overthrow their government." He also mentioned that, with the U. S. Embargo, "the only news Americans receive about the island is from the corporate media." Of course, Kowalchuck doesn't think too much of the mainstream U. S. media, which he called "the corporate media." Unfortunately, for a great Democracy, most American don't trust their media, according to Gallup and other polls.

      The United States calls it "a needed EMBARGO" while Cuba calls it "a genocidal and historic Blockade." But whatever it is called, it is unconscionable, unethical, indefensible, and unprincipled at least as far as millions of vulnerable Cuban families are concerned.  Yet the world's richest and strongest nation has allowed {whatever the EMBARGO/BLOCKADE is called} to exist from 1962 till 2025. How can it be that somewhere in THE PAST six decades a few rich people in a powerful nation can be allowed to starve and deprive masses of people in a much smaller nation? Is it because Cuban-Americans in Little Havana USA in nearby Miami like Marco Rubio keep saying: "We Cubans in Miami are GOOD and Cubans in Havana are BAD!!" 

   Well, folks, Michael John Kowalchuk -- along with millions of Americans and billions of people worldwide -- does not think there are any viable excuses for the endless EMBARGO/BLOCKADE that has tormented generations of Cuban families, and it appears billions of people in the world agree with him. As a lifelong fierce Democracy-loving American, I agree with Michael John Kowalchuk when it comes to a few rich and powerful people in a ultra-powerful nation being allowed to endlessly torment masses of people in a nearby and much-weaker nation.

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A Street in Cuba in 2025

 ....One That Americans Never See!!

       One of the Caribbean's greatest photographers, Roberto Suarez, took this photo on a street in Pinar del Rio, the tenth largest city in Cuba with a population of 191,081.

   The city of Pinar del Rio is the capital of Pinar del Rio Pronince, which is on the western tip of Cuba just a short and scenic bus ride from Havana. Americans have heard about Havana; they should know about the city and province of Pinar del Rio.

     The unique and incomparable Vinales Valley in Pinar del Rio Province is, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage Center. Few Americans have seen Vinales Valley, especially since the Cuban Revolution won in 1959 and especially since 1962 when the endless U. S. Embargo against Cuba began. But in 2004 the Bush administration provided me a research permit to visit Cuba and I got to see Vinales Valley. I will never FORGET its incomparable uniqueness and beauty...and the warmth of the people.

     The friendly and gorgeous city of Vinales in Pinar del Rio, with a lovely little hotel, is a short and scenic bus ride southwest of Havana.

     World famed Travel Writer Claudia Tavani thinks the best way to see Vinales Valley is by biking. But many others prefer hiking, riding horses, etc.

     The author of the popular "Greta's Travels" website believes the best way to see and study Vinales Valley is on horseback. But how you choose to do so, if you can legally navigate the U. S. sanctions, there are many unique, historic, and incomparable things to see in Cuba...and not JUST Havana, Varadero Beach, etc.

     Today is January 19th, 2025. Tomorrow Donald Trump returns for his second 4-year term as The President of the United States. It remains to seen what Donald Trump and his Miami-born Cuban-American Marco Rubio as Secretary of State means for US-Cuba Relations. For sure, Cuba and the world will have to wait to see.

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Cuba Says It Is Ready to be a U. S. Friend

 And Be A Good Trade Partner!!

     For sure, U.S.-Cuban Relations have been extremely war-like for many decades, and today -- January 17, 2025 -- that is no exception. But today look at the Top Cuban Headlines flashing around the world:

    But today -- January 17, 2025 -- is just three days from the pivotal day when Democrat President Joe Biden will be replaced by Republican President Donald Trump. Thus Monday, January 20th, 2025 figures to be a particularly pivotal day in U.S.-Cuba Relations.

     In three days on January 20th, 2025 when former President Donald Trump replaces exiting President Joe Biden will be a drastic turning point in U.S.-Cuba Relations. Most observers believe it will be even worse for Cuban families in Cuba and even better for Cuban families in Miami, such as Miami's Marco Rubio who will be the next ultra-powerful U. S. Secretary of State.

    But allow me a prediction: I think that President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio will actually end up making lives better for Cuban families in Cuba. My opinion is based on two things: {1} Things simply cannot get any worse than they are right now in Cuba; and {2} Trump is unpredictable and I think he will end up reining in Rubio's dire and searing hatred of Revolutionary Cuba. Trump wants a legacy that will give him credit for improving the lives of Cuban families. Of course, I am well aware that on January 17th, 2025 most Cubans in Cuba right now hate and fear two particularly men above all others --- Trump and Rubio.  And that's why I hope my prediction regarding Trump's unpredictability and concern for his legacy turns out to be correct. But I say that with two words of caution -- "STAY TUNED."

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Biden Eases Drastic Cuban Sanctions 6 Days Before Trump's New Presidency!

CUBA HEADLINES  FLASHING AROUND THE WOLRD TODAY.

     Late yesterday -- on January 14th, 2025 -- Democrat President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the USA's State Sponsor of Terrorism List. Republican President Donald Trump had put Cuba on the List nine years ago, in 2016. In 2017 when Biden replaced Trump as President, Most people thought in 2017 that Biden would quickly remove Cuba from the Terror List, but Biden has waited almost four years to finally do it, six days before the newly re-elected Trump will replace Biden as the new President of the United States. So now in a few days, starting on January 20th in 2025, the former 45th and now the new 47th President of the United States, Trump will continue his administration's efforts to overturn Cuba's Revolutionary government, which way back in January of 1959 overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista who, of course, wildly allowed both the Mafia and many top U. S. companies to rake in millions of dollars under Batista's ruthless rule. If in the next four years with Donald Trump as President and with his top cabinet member -- Little Havana/Miami's Marco Rubio -- as the two men who will be making the U. S. decisions, it is likely U. S. companies will once again soon be making millions of dollars in Cuba, which will again be called "a democratic and friendly country."

      Once Donald Trump and Marco Rubio bitterly called each other terrible names when they were presidential candidates in the 2016 election that Trump won. That Trump adminstration for four years drastically tried to starve and overthrow Cuba's Revolutionary rule. Rubio has been in the U. S. Senate since  2021 and in all that time, often as the Senate's powerful Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has drastically tried to overthrew Revolutionary Cuba on behalf of his hometown of Miami/Little Havana. Now with Trump again as President of  the United States, it is almost sure that Revolutionary Cuba's rule will, after 66 years, finally end.

     Today -- January 15th, 2025 -- the Senate's Confirmation Hearing for State Secretary of State was widely televised and will later wildly result in Marco Rubio being the next U. S. Secretary of State. That, starting on Monday, January 20-2025 -- will make Rubio the most powerful person, next to President Trump, in the next four years. Of the dozens of Senate Hearings ongoing for Trump appointees, Rubio by far will get the most support. All 53 of the majoritiy Republicans and many of the Democratic Senators will wildly vote to confirm Rubio as Secretary of State. He is the darling from Little Havana in Miami and is the darling of the U. S. Senate...and now he will arguably be in the second most important U. S. politician. At today's Senate Hearing, even Democrat Senators who wildly hate Donald Trump, such as Haines, Duckworth, etc. -- wildly saluted Rubio and asked him loving questions...routinely permitting Rubio to explain his intention -- starting on January 20th, 2025 -- to overturn not only the Cuban "dictators" but also the "dictators" that rule Cuba's two best friends, Venezuela and Nicaragua. When he has been the powerful U. S. Senator since 2011, Rubio tried  his best to do so things. And now starting Monday he will have the power to do it.

     Above is the official U. S. govenment website that published the official statement by President Joseph R.. Biden Jr. that yesterday {January 14th, 2025} removed Cuba from the U. S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. That designation has tightened starvation, nationwide power blackouts, and other deprivations in Cuba, and in the last few years two million Cubans have left the island...facts that great international News Agencies such as Reuters have reported to the whole world.  

And, meanwhile, with Trump replacing Biden as President of the United States next Monday -- January 20th, 2025 -- will Cuba be returned to the devastating U. S. State Sponsor of Terrorism List? Probably!

     There was, of course, more reaction from Cuba today -- on January 15th, 2025 -- by the island's longtime Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla: "So...we wait 5 days till January 20th for President Biden's long-waited and much too late easing of the Cuban sanctions will fully be overturned by President Trump and Marco Rubio. Yes, after decades watching Cubans on this island starve and be deprived by U. S. sanctions, I have learned a few  truths about U. S. relations with Cuba."

The sunset tonight in Havana, Cuba.

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Mid-January in 2025 as U. S. Cubans Fight Any Change to unBlockade Cuba.

     On a rainy March 20th in 2016 U. S. President Barack Obama and his family arrived in Havana on a three-day visit that was designed to normalize relations with Cuba, starting with ending the deadly six-decade-old U. S. economic Embago-Blockade against the nearby island. The highlight of the trip was when President Obama spoke directly to the Cuban people on nationwide television and radio. And the highlight of that historic speech was when he made this promise: "Cuba Does Not Need To Fear A Threat From the United States." Of course, by the time President Obama flew back to the U. S. on Air Force One the more powerful Anti-Cuban forces in Miami and in Washington had already begun successfully to make a lie of Obama's sincere and brave sentence that is shown above. In case you missed that sentence shown above, here it is again: "Cuba Does Not Need To Fear A Threat From The United States.' 

    Of course, in 2016 President Obama and the world quickly learned again that the Counter Revolutionary Cuban-Americans in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood have dictated the USA's Cuban policies since 1959, which was the year that the Cuban Revolution overthrew the U.S./Mafia-backed Batista dictatorship. And now in the first two weeks in 2025 the Miami-Little Havana Cubans such as Marco Rubio, the Diaz-Balart brothers, and Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen continue to have a firm grip on U. S. Cuban policies -- not Presidents such as the last three -- Obama, Trump, Biden. Now starting on January 20th in 2025 the second 4-year term as President for Donald Trump will once again permit Miami-Little Havana to tell him what to do regarding Cuba. That, of course, means that rich Little Havana Cubans in Miami will continue to benefit from the six-decade-old EMBARGO/Blockade that will continue to starve and deprive this latest generation of everyday Cuban families in Cuba.

   The U. S. media, as reported by The Hill with the above headline in January of 2025, is busy reminding Americans what a wonderful government Batista's dictatorship was in the 1950s until the terrible Cuban Revolution overthrew Batista on New Year's Day in 1959. Below The Hill's typical pro-Batista/anti-Cuba propaganda is highlighted.

      Most of the mainstream U. S. media, as usual, starts 2025 supporting the endless U. S. BLOCKADE/Embargo that starves, deprives, and makes miserable the families in Cuba while also enriching and empowering Cuban-American families in the Little Havana section of Miami. One of Washington's most notable media sources -- The Hill -- is just one example of the U.S. Media staunchly promoting the six-decade-old torment of everyday Cuban families in Cuba. Above the typical headline/article blared forth from The Hill in January of 2025 is the Headline/Article shown above: "Why a return to Obama-era policy on Cuba is a Big Mistake." In other words, The Hill in January in 2025 is promoting the continuous six-decade-old U. S. Blockade that has starved three generations of Cuban families in Cuba to appease the rich and politically powerful Cuban-Americans in the Little Havana section of Miami. Of course, the Gallup and other polls now report that very few Americans "trust" the Mainstream U. S. Media, but it still saturates the United States with whatever propaganda it chooses.

     As you can see from the January-2025 headlines and photo from the London-based Reuters Worldwide News Agency, most non-U.S. media sources report accurately and honestly about conditions in Cuba. And, YES, most of the non-U. S. media considers the ageless U. S. EMBARGO/Blockade on Cuba as a prime example of a few rich people in a powerful nation being allowed to benefit from and profit from tormenting masses of vulnerable people in a much smaller and much weaker nation.

    On January 10th in 2025 this photo and caption from American First posted this image of former Democratic President Barack Obama and former Republican President Donald Trump speaking amicably and wildly at the funeral of former Democratic President Jimmy Carter who died at age 100 this month. Since 1959, for the most part, in the U. S. two-party political system Democratic presidents like Obama and Carter have tried to normalize relations with Cuba while Republican presidents such as Trump support starving Cuba in order to overthrow the Cuban Revolution that overthrew the U.S./Mafia-backed Batista dictatorship way back in January of 1959. To the glee of Cubans in Miami and to the fear of Cubans in Cuba, starting on January 20th in 2025 the new U. S. President will AGAIN be Donald Trump.

Should Cuba be freed from the clutches of Little Havana USA?

Almost the entire world SAYS "YES!"

      Yes, outside of Miami and Washington most of the world hopes for a United States that will "FREE CUBA." But don't expect in 2025 the U. S. to even consider the problem that shames the U. S. more than it shames Cuba. 

     As a lifelong Democracy-loving American I am abundantly aware that the U. S. media is not a good place to get honest news regarding U.S-Cuban Relations. But there are some good U. S. sources, such as the two books shown above: "Havana Nocturne" by the great T. J. English and "Cuba Confidential" by the great Ann Louise Bardach. The greatness of these two books is clearly explained by the two very pertinent sub-titles shown above: "How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost it to the Revolution." and "LOVE AND VENGEANCE IN MIAMI AND HAVANA." In other words, propagandized Americans need to know how and WHY..."how the Mod owned Batista's Cuba and then lost it to the Cuban Revolution." And then of course Americans also need to know all about "Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana since January of 1959."

      For sure...Cuba's extreme beauty, its extremely important location a few miles south of Florida, its extreme potential, and its extremely interessting and intriguing history make Cuba an island and a nation that should be friends with its northern neighbor, the superpower United States. After all.....................................................

       ..................back in the 1940s and 1950s when ruthless dictator Fulgencio Batista very ruthlessly ruled Cuba, the United States allowed major U. S. companies to make vast fortunes in Cuba while the U. S. government and the U. S. media wildly pomoted Tourists with lots of dollars to visit Cuba's massive tourist attractions such as the beautiful Varadero Beach that is just a few miles south of Key West, Florida.

     Well...in January of 2025 Varadero Beach -- "The World's Best Beach" -- is still a few miles due south of Key West, Florida. But since 1962 Cuba's northern neighbor, the United States, has used the EMBARGO/Blockade to starve Cuba's economy while HOPING that it will induce the Cuban people to overthrow their own revolutionary government. Of course, six decades later that hasn't happened but there is renewed hope in 2025 that the EMBARGO/Blockade {or something else} will finally starve Cuba into submission, and it might well finally happen in 2025...and if it does expect hordes of U. S. tourists and millions of U. S. dollars to again flood Varadero Beach.

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