We do not have the alternative of “offering submission to the USA”, says Cuban ambassador

“The southern sea will unite with the northern sea, and a serpent will be born from the eagle’s egg, before Cuba renounces its rebellion.” It is to this premonitory and anti-imperialist quote from the poet and revolutionary José Martí that the Cuban ambassador to Brazil, Adolfo Curbelo, associates resistance to the energy blockade imposed by the United States against the Island.

In an exclusive interview with Red Portalgranted at the Embassy headquarters in Brasília, Curbelo states that “it is not an alternative to offer submission to the United States. The Cuban people will not surrender.” According to him, the offensive of the Donald Trump government’s action, the “eagle’s egg” – which blocked the supply of oil to Cuba – is a “genocide” against the Cuban people. Since the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Cubans have stopped receiving fuel from their South American partner.

“Why do we talk about genocide? Because, as with every blockade, this particular measure deprives the Cuban people of their means of subsistence. When they make it impossible for our country to import the oil it needs to generate electricity, they are affecting all economic activity in the country and directly to the Cuban people”, says Curbelo.

According to him, the situation is worsened by the lack of electricity, which impacts food production, the protection of patients in hospitals and the provision of essential services. However, Curbelo quotes José Martí, the hero of Cuban independence, to make it clear that the nation will continue to resist and will emerge victorious. There is a history – says the ambassador – which the socialist revolution of 1959 continued, maintaining Cuba’s real independence from the United States.

Frankly, the diplomatic representative in Brazil warns of the risk of other, more violent measures by Trump. “We don’t rule out anything and prepare for the worst circumstances and worst possible scenarios. Meanwhile, we look for solutions, because we can’t wait,” he says.

One of these solutions is the “electrification of the country with solar panels”. Cuba has just reached the milestone of 1,000 megawatts of these panels – or 10% of the total generation capacity installed in the country. “We have made a lot of progress in this sense. We still do not have the storage capacity to be able to incorporate solar electrical generation as part of the more organized energy distribution scheme. But today, thanks to this generation, the country already has a slightly less complicated situation in some places”, he states.

“They (the United States) they cannot block the sun. We must increase national oil production and extraction with technology. The country is looking for solutions”, adds the ambassador.

Check out other excerpts from Curbelo’s interview with Red:

The new lockdown

“With the ban on the entry of oil into Cuba, the right of any nation to sovereignly sell oil to Cuba was simply ignored – and the right of the Cuban people and government to sovereignly import oil from any nation in the world was violated. It is an order against the principles of international law that violates the sovereignty of all States, not just Cuba. The justification used for this ordinance is absolutely false. Certainly, the government of the United States and particularly the president of that country have no attachment to the truth. But I emphasize another element of greater importance, which follows the same line as the resurgence of the blockade that has been going on for more than 67 years: this (nova) measure is really a genocide against the Cuban people, clearly and explicitly to the world.”

Support for Cuba

“There is an international consensus against the blockade. The movement of non-aligned countries issued a resolution condemning the presidential order and ratified solidarity with Cuba. We are talking about 160 countries in the world. The group of countries defending the Charter of the United Nations also issued a communication condemning the order. Very important countries from around the world spoke out. Russia issued a strong statement, ratifying the relationship with Cuba and the rejection of this United States policy. China rejected the presidential order and ratified its supportive position of solidarity to Cuba. China donated 60 thousand tons of rice to the Cuban people, and the first 30 thousand tons have already been delivered. The Foreign Minister of Cuba was received as a special emissary of the President of the Republic in countries such as Vietnam and China. maintains.”

Brazilian pronouncements

“We heard President Lula speak at the celebration of the anniversary of the creation of the PT, when he ratified solidarity with Cuba. Numerous organizations in Brazil spoke out. The PCdoB spoke out clearly and quickly. The PT did the same. Other parties also spoke out against the measure. Significant numbers of government base parties, such as PT, PCdoB, Rede and PSOL, among others, made a very explicit statement against this measure and demanding solidarity with Cuba.”

The resistance of the Cuban people

“Cuba was the last Spanish colony to be liberated and it was the first country where a radical, Martian revolution triumphed, which was also a socialist revolution. And this revolution took place just 180 kilometers from the border with the United States. This is a fact that not only the elites, but the power in the United States never forgave. Cuba successfully challenged the United States. Here there is a history that speaks for itself. We live from a history of struggle. The Cuban people fought against the Spanish metropolis for many years. our life option. It is not an alternative to offer submission to the United States. The Cuban people will not surrender.”