US Sanctions: The 'Attack' Al Jazeera Glosses Over in Cuba's Economic Woes
📰 THE STORY: Al Jazeera frames its discussion around whether Cuba's economy can survive 'after the US attack on Venezuela', specifically referencing 'Donald Trump's threat' to cut Venezuelan oil supplies to Cuba. The piece suggests that this recent pressure on Venezuela will inevitably stress Cuba's economy, raising questions about its future. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context:
The 'US attack' on Venezuela isn't a singular event under Trump but a continuation of decades of economic warfare against Latin American socialist governments, particularly Cuba. The US imposed its first major trade embargo on Cuba in 1962 , specifically designed to 'weaken the economic life of Cuba' and 'bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government,' as detailed in a 1960 State
Department memo . This continuous embargo, tightened under successive administrations, has cost Cuba an estimated $159 billion . The moves against Venezuela, including the recognition of an unelected 'interim president' Juan Guaidó in 2019 and crippling oil sanctions, are direct echoes of this long-standing playbook against any nation attempting to assert economic sovereignty outside US influence.
Double Standard: Western media routinely frames US sanctions as 'pressure' or 'diplomatic tools' while ignoring the devastating humanitarian consequences. When Russia faces sanctions, it's widely condemned as aggression. When the US freezes Afghanistan's $7 billion in assets causing mass starvation, or imposes sanctions on Venezuela that contributed to over 100,000 deaths , it's described as an