December 19, 2014
Akahata editorial
U.S. and Cuban leaders on December 17 simultaneously announced that the two nations early next year will open negotiations to normalize their relations which have been suspended since 1961. Behind this historic change lies a growing criticism over the U.S. embargo against Cuba which successive U.S. governments have maintained with the aim of overturning Cuba’s government in defiance of international law. The restoration of diplomatic ties should be a welcome advance from the viewpoint of deepening bilateral dialogue and enabling mutual understanding. There also are expectations that the recovered bilateral ties will contribute to Latin American nations’ joint efforts for peace.
More than five decades of mistakes
After the Cuban Revolution in 1959 ousted U.S.-backed President Fulgencio Batista who exercised a military dictatorship over the nation, the United States in 1961 declared a severing of diplomatic relations and invaded Cuba (known as the Bay of Pigs invasion). In the following year, the U.S. administration announced a total ban on trade with Cuba. In 1996, Washington tightened the ban by imposing sanctions on companies in third-party nations that trade with Cuba, disregarding international law.
The United Nations General Assembly in October this year adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. to remove its trade embargo against Cuba by a vote of 188-2 with three abstentions. Similar resolutions have been adopted for 23 consecutive years.
In 1962, Cuba was suspended from the Organization of American States (OAS) due to U.S. insistence. The suspension has already been retracted with strong demands from Latin American nations’ governments, including even politically conservative governments. It is reported that Cuba will probably attend the Americas Presidential Summit scheduled to be held in April 2015 through efforts made by the meeting chair Panama.
Equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of other governments, and peaceful co-existence of various nations with different social systems are the major principles of the current international community. Based on these principles, along with normalization of diplomatic ties, the U.S. government should accept Cuba as a member of the global community and sincerely listen to the global call for an end to the trade embargo.
In the statement, Obama said, “it does not serve America’s interests, or the Cuban people, to try to push Cuba toward collapse.” Showing a sign of remorse for causing international turmoil such as the Iraq War, he noted that “countries are more likely to enjoy lasting transformation if their people are not subjected to chaos.”
At the same time, Obama expressed his intent to “promote our values through engagement”, while admitting that its half-a-century-long policy against Cuba was “an outdated approach”.
Of course, each country needs to make efforts to promote human rights and social justice. The United States should fully accept the principle that the Cuban people have a right to determine their own future.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro stated that his government is ready to start a dialogue with the United States based on the principles of sovereign equality and self-determination of peoples. Castro also demanded a complete lifting of the economic blockade, stressing that the latest move to normalize the relationship does not mean a blanket settlement of the most important issues between the two nations.
Toward world peace and social progress
The global community welcomes the two leaders’ announcement and is carefully observing the direction the negotiations will take. Current problems between the two countries were originally triggered by the United States. It is expected that in accordance with the principles of respect for the sovereignty and non-intervention in domestic affairs, both sides would settle their differences through dialogues and contribute to social progress and world peace.
*****
The Japan Asia Africa Latin America Solidarity Committee (Japan AALA) on December 17 issued a statement welcoming the announcement that the U.S. and Cuba will open negotiations to restore their diplomatic ties.
U.S. and Cuban leaders on December 17 simultaneously announced that the two nations early next year will open negotiations to normalize their relations which have been suspended since 1961. Behind this historic change lies a growing criticism over the U.S. embargo against Cuba which successive U.S. governments have maintained with the aim of overturning Cuba’s government in defiance of international law. The restoration of diplomatic ties should be a welcome advance from the viewpoint of deepening bilateral dialogue and enabling mutual understanding. There also are expectations that the recovered bilateral ties will contribute to Latin American nations’ joint efforts for peace.
More than five decades of mistakes
After the Cuban Revolution in 1959 ousted U.S.-backed President Fulgencio Batista who exercised a military dictatorship over the nation, the United States in 1961 declared a severing of diplomatic relations and invaded Cuba (known as the Bay of Pigs invasion). In the following year, the U.S. administration announced a total ban on trade with Cuba. In 1996, Washington tightened the ban by imposing sanctions on companies in third-party nations that trade with Cuba, disregarding international law.
The United Nations General Assembly in October this year adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. to remove its trade embargo against Cuba by a vote of 188-2 with three abstentions. Similar resolutions have been adopted for 23 consecutive years.
In 1962, Cuba was suspended from the Organization of American States (OAS) due to U.S. insistence. The suspension has already been retracted with strong demands from Latin American nations’ governments, including even politically conservative governments. It is reported that Cuba will probably attend the Americas Presidential Summit scheduled to be held in April 2015 through efforts made by the meeting chair Panama.
Equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of other governments, and peaceful co-existence of various nations with different social systems are the major principles of the current international community. Based on these principles, along with normalization of diplomatic ties, the U.S. government should accept Cuba as a member of the global community and sincerely listen to the global call for an end to the trade embargo.
In the statement, Obama said, “it does not serve America’s interests, or the Cuban people, to try to push Cuba toward collapse.” Showing a sign of remorse for causing international turmoil such as the Iraq War, he noted that “countries are more likely to enjoy lasting transformation if their people are not subjected to chaos.”
At the same time, Obama expressed his intent to “promote our values through engagement”, while admitting that its half-a-century-long policy against Cuba was “an outdated approach”.
Of course, each country needs to make efforts to promote human rights and social justice. The United States should fully accept the principle that the Cuban people have a right to determine their own future.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro stated that his government is ready to start a dialogue with the United States based on the principles of sovereign equality and self-determination of peoples. Castro also demanded a complete lifting of the economic blockade, stressing that the latest move to normalize the relationship does not mean a blanket settlement of the most important issues between the two nations.
Toward world peace and social progress
The global community welcomes the two leaders’ announcement and is carefully observing the direction the negotiations will take. Current problems between the two countries were originally triggered by the United States. It is expected that in accordance with the principles of respect for the sovereignty and non-intervention in domestic affairs, both sides would settle their differences through dialogues and contribute to social progress and world peace.
*****
The Japan Asia Africa Latin America Solidarity Committee (Japan AALA) on December 17 issued a statement welcoming the announcement that the U.S. and Cuba will open negotiations to restore their diplomatic ties.
