Cuba addresses US-sponsored terrorism in the Caribbean, in the US mainstream media and against their homeland

by JR Valrey

The imperial pirates of the US Navy have been trying to provoke the Republic of Venezuela into a military confrontation in the Caribbean over the last couple of weeks by killing innocent Venezuelan people in boats and calling them drug dealers without a shred of evidence. All of this is to justify militarily overthrowing the government and stealing the South American nation’s resources.

I discussed with Gabriela Castillo, an official in the Political Affairs Office of the Cuban Embassy, Cuba’s strong relationship with Venezuela, which the US government and mainstream media is calling a narco-state.  She also explains the negative impact that the US government’s renewal of the Trading With the Enemy Act, signed last August, will continue to have on everyday Cubans, the importance of international solidarity and the importance of international donations to Cuba,  and we also discussed COINTEL PRO measures being used against Cuba in the mainstream media and so much more. 

JR Valrey: What has Cuba’s relationship with Venezuela been like since the presidency of Chavez and Maduro?

Gabriela Castillo: Since the election of President Hugo Chávez in 1999, the relationship between Cuba and Venezuela has been one of deep solidarity, built on the principles of social justice, sovereignty and cooperation between peoples.

With Chávez, and later with President Nicolás Maduro, we found partners who shared a vision that prioritized the dignity of our people above the interests of powerful elites. Together, our countries launched programs that put human beings at the center — initiatives in health, literacy and sports that touched millions of lives in Venezuela and also strengthened our ties as sister nations. For example, thousands of Cuban doctors went to the most humble neighborhoods in Venezuela to bring healthcare where it had never reached before. Venezuela supported Cuba with energy resources, which helped us confront the hardships caused by the US blockade.

This relationship has never been without challenges. Both Cuba and Venezuela have faced enormous external pressures, economic sanctions and political campaigns to undermine our sovereignty. But through those pressures, the bond has remained strong because it is not only between governments — it is a relationship between peoples who recognize a shared struggle against exclusion and inequality.

JR Valrey: Does the Cuban government believe that Venezuela is a narco-state? If not, what does the Cuban government think is fueling this recent US military build-up and aggression in the Caribbean?

Gabriela Castillo: Cuba does not consider Venezuela a narco-state. That label is part of a political narrative, often used to discredit governments that take an independent path and to justify pressure or intervention.

What is happening in our region today — the military build-up and the rising tensions in the Caribbean — are consistent with long-standing attempts to control the natural resources and political decisions of sovereign nations. The real goal is not security; it is control over Venezuela’s oil and natural resources – a clear example on how the Monroe Doctrine is still very much alive. 

From Cuba’s perspective, the real security of the Caribbean does not come from warships or threats. It comes from justice, from development, from the right of every nation — large or small — to make its own choices without fear.

Cuba believes this path of confrontation will not bring peace or stability to the region. On the contrary, it risks creating unnecessary conflict in our shared home — the Caribbean and Latin America.

That is why we call instead for dialogue, for respect of sovereignty and for cooperation among neighbors. Our region was proclaimed a Zone of Peace, and that is a principle we continue to defend.

Cuba’s message is simple: We must put aside the language of force and work together to preserve peace, stability and dignity for all our peoples.

JR Valrey: Last August, the US government renewed the WWI-era Trading With the Enemies Act. How will this renewal continue to affect the social life of everyday Cubans?

Gabriela Castillo: When President Trump renewed the Trading With the Enemy Act in August 2025, it might have sounded like just another routine decision in Washington. But for everyday Cubans, it has very real consequences — because it means the US Blockade also known as “embargo” continues, and that affects almost every aspect of daily life. I invite you to check the latest report presented by Cuba on the human and material damages caused by the blockade in 2024–2025, available on the website Cubaminrex.cu in both English and Spanish. This report helps to support the need to present each year, since 1991, the resolution “Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial and Financial Blockade Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba,” which is voted on at the United Nations General Assembly and consistently receives overwhelming support from the international community. Historically, only the United States and Israel have voted against it.

First, it sustains economic hardship. The Blockade, reinforced by the TWEA, is one of the main reasons we live with chronic shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Families deal with long lines, very high prices and the stress of not knowing if they’ll find what they need. 

It also keeps wages low and makes it very hard for small businesses to grow or for the economy to move forward, even though Cubans are highly educated and skilled.

And let’s not forget the energy crisis. US sanctions have even targeted companies delivering fuel to the island, which has led to blackouts that disrupt family life, schools and workplaces.

Second, it limits social connections and opportunities. The Blockade and the TWEA make it harder for Cubans and Americans to travel, reunite with family or exchange culturally and academically.  US policies even ban remittances — money sent by Cuban Americans to support their families back home. The continuation of the TWEA keeps that legal framework in place.

And the Blockade isolates Cuba from global markets and investment, cutting us off from goods, technologies and services that people in other countries take for granted.

We know that not all of our country’s problems come from outside, but let me be very clear: The US blockade is still the main obstacle to our development as a sovereign nation.

A few years ago, a journalist explained it with a metaphor that I think is perfect: No one can deny that Cuba’s economic and health situation is difficult. But to ignore the real causes – that’s an insult to anyone’s intelligence. You can talk to me all you want about internal mistakes, but think about this: If I tie your hands and feet, blindfold you, push you into a river – and then you drown, whose fault is it? Yours? Of course not. The fault is with the one who put you in that impossible situation.

Just as you mentioned in your question, the TWEA is not something new. The Trading With the Enemy Act was first passed in 1917 as a wartime measure. I want to emphasize the fact that the TWEA is a wartime measure, and I want to make very clear that our country is not — I repeat, not — at war with the United States.

This point is important because the Trading With the Enemy Act was originally designed to regulate commerce during actual armed conflicts. Applying it to Cuba for over 60 years, despite there being no state of war between our nations, shows that this is not about security or defense — it is a policy that continues to impose economic hardship on the Cuban people without justification.

Today, Cuba is probably the only country it still applies to. Since 1963, every US president — Democrat and Republican — has renewed it every single year. It’s basically the legal foundation of the Blockade.

So, to be clear, the renewal in August 2025 wasn’t a new tightening of sanctions. But it did keep in place the same framework that has caused hardship for over 60 years. For Cubans, that means the struggles continue: shortages at the store, blackouts at home and barriers to staying connected with loved ones abroad.

What seems like just a signature in Washington is, for Cuban families, the difference between putting food on the table or not, between keeping the lights on or living in the dark, between seeing family or being separated. That’s the reality of how this policy plays out in everyday life.

JR Valrey: You recently attended an ELAM event for the Cuban trained doctors from the US, where Malcolm and the first Fidel-led Cuban UN delegation meeting at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem was celebrated. What was the importance of that event and what is the importance of solidarity among oppressed people today?

Gabriela Castillo: Yes, the Cuban delegation, led by Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, who is in New York to attend the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly, was part of two meetings of vital importance for our historical relationship with the people of the United States: a discussion with a large group of US doctors who graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), and a gathering at Riverside Church in Harlem to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the historic meeting between Fidel Castro and Malcolm X at the Hotel Theresa in New York, and to honor Brother Malcolm on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The story of how Fidel and Malcolm X met is fascinating and carries a special mystique. Malcolm X is someone deeply respected in Cuba because of what he represented — and still represents — in the struggles of peoples in the Global South.

Just imagine the moment: in 1960: There was so much hostility toward Cuba. The big hotels on Fifth Avenue wouldn’t even host our delegation – and the story said it was Malcolm X who opened the doors of the Hotel Theresa.

But he didn’t stop there. He mobilized the Black and Latino community in Harlem to support and protect the Cuban delegation that was in representation of our revolutionary process. That is not something we ever forget. That action showed what solidarity among peoples really means — what can happen when we unite beyond borders and differences. It was a gesture of courage, leadership and humanity that continues to inspire us today. And symbolically, we mark this as a milestone in the ties that connect us to the American people – and especially to the Black community in this country. I say with great pride that it was the Black community, the workers, those who share with us the challenges that should unite the Global South here in the US who were the first to genuinely open their arms to the Revolution and to the Cuban people.

And I think that the decision to give young Americans from low-income families the chance to become doctors at ELAM, without paying a single cent, was one of the most genuine ways my country could honor that meaningful gesture from Harlem in 1960. But really, it’s more than just paying it back — it’s a way to show the importance and need for a different model of cooperation among the Global South, one where development doesn’t come from the top down, but side by side, shoulder to shoulder.

I’ve seen some ill-intentioned comments claiming that these students are “indoctrinated” in Cuba. The truth is simple: All we ask from these doctors is that, once they graduate, they use their medical knowledge to help and heal in their communities. That’s it. Nothing more, and I think it is fair enough. 

But returning to your question, the importance of these events lies in the way they highlight long-standing ties of solidarity and mutual respect between Cuba and communities in the United States, especially within the Black community. Commemorating the meeting between Fidel Castro and Malcolm X in 1960 reminds us of what courage, leadership and humanity can achieve when people stand together. Malcolm X’s actions — opening the doors of the Hotel Theresa and mobilizing his community to support Cuba at a time of hostility – showed what true solidarity means. It was a gesture that transcended borders, built trust and laid the foundation for cooperation between peoples who face similar challenges.

Similarly, the ELAM program, which allows young Americans from low-income families to study medicine in Cuba for free, is a modern expression of that same solidarity. It demonstrates that helping one another and sharing knowledge can create opportunities where inequality might otherwise prevail. By training these doctors to return to their communities and serve,  we are building a model of collaboration rooted in mutual support, not exploitation. And in this work, the joint efforts with the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), through its project Pastors for Peace, has played a fundamental role with a long-standing relationship of active solidarity with Cuba, which is rooted in opposition to the US Blockade. And in that, I believe it’s important to honor the late Pastor Lucius Walker for the incredible work of solidarity that he and Fidel began.

So, the importance of these two events is twofold: They honor the history of solidarity and remind us that when peoples unite, they can create meaningful change. It shows that true progress comes from working together — side by side, shoulder to shoulder — across borders and communities.

JR Valrey: Because of the US-led sanctions, the financial crisis on the island has gotten worse but has led Cuba to become a beacon internationally for agro-ecology. What is agro-ecology? And how are Cubans using it on the island to fight for food sovereignty? 

Gabriela Castillo: Well, the story of agroecology in Cuba really starts in the 1990s. Back then, in response to severe food shortages caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tightening of US sanctions, Cuba had to shift from industrial agriculture to agroecology. This model, focused on ecological farming practices and local food systems, has become a cornerstone in our fight for food sovereignty.

From a scientific point of view, agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture and food production. It’s about working with natural ecosystems instead of trying to dominate them with synthetic inputs. It combines modern science with traditional and indigenous knowledge to create sustainable and resilient farming systems.

So, I want to emphasize again: Cuba’s agroecological transition began out of necessity during what we call the “Special Period” in the 1990s, when the loss of Soviet subsidies cut off access to fuel, pesticides and imported fertilizers. The country responded quickly, making a large-scale shift toward food self-sufficiency.

To be honest, our Cuban agroecology model is far from perfect, and US sanctions continue to create challenges for resources and investment in our agriculture. But the nationwide adoption of agroecology is, for us, a real path toward greater food sovereignty, resilience and sustainability — something we need more than ever, especially in the current context of shortages made worse by the intensification of the Blockade.

I’m not sure we can call ourselves an example yet, because the challenges are huge and the situation is very difficult. But I can assure you that we are focused on it, and we even have non-governmental partners here in the United States who have been working with us on this. And soon, the media outlet Belly of the Beast will release a documentary on this topic.

JR Valrey: Recently the Belly of the Beast Instagram account reported that 600 pacemakers have been donated to the Cuban healthcare system. Why are international donations such as this important to the Cuban people?

Gabriela Castillo: International donations — like the 600 pacemakers that recently arrived in Cuba — are a lifeline for our healthcare system. They act like a small safety valve against the harsh restrictions imposed by the US blockade. These sanctions, in place for decades, make it extremely difficult for Cuba to buy basic medical supplies, equipment and medicines on the international market.

The blockade, together with the broader economic crisis it has worsened, has created chronic shortages of medical materials in Cuba. For something as essential as pacemakers, the sanctions can lead to waiting lists that stretch for years —years of uncertainty for patients whose lives literally depend on these devices. Donations from solidarity groups, like the ones behind this pacemaker drive, go straight to filling those gaps.

On top of that, the US decision to include Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list blocks us from using the international banking system. That makes it even harder to buy what we need, even when those purchases should technically be allowed under humanitarian exceptions. In reality, donations and aid from friendly countries and NGOs are often the only way to get around these barriers.

And beyond the practical help, these donations bring relief to Cuban doctors and hospitals that are forced to work under extremely tough conditions. They also carry a deep emotional and political meaning: They prove that Cuba is not alone, that not all US citizens and organizations support the blockade, and that solidarity is stronger than isolation.

For decades, Cuba has treated healthcare as a basic human right, one of the central principles of our Revolution. International donations are a key support for this system which — despite limited resources — has reached health indicators similar to many developed nations. They remind us that health is a global good, something that should never be held hostage to geopolitics or sanctions.

But let me be very honest: the situation in Cuba’s healthcare system right now is extremely hard because of the lack of supplies. It weighs heavily on our people and on our doctors. To give you a sense of scale: Just 16 days of losses caused by the blockade equals the funding needed to cover the country’s entire Basic Medicines Program for a year — about $339 million. That’s painkillers, fever reducers and other essential drugs. Six days of blockade losses equal the money we’d need to import all disposable medical materials — cotton, gauze, syringes, needles, sutures, catheters, IV sets — and the reagents required for the national health system for a year, about $129 million. So if the blockade were lifted for only 22 days, we could restock every hospital, clinic, family doctor’s office and pharmacy in the country.

And it goes further: Just two hours without the blockade would give Cuba enough funds to buy medicines for psychiatric, neurological and heart conditions, plus special foods for children with genetic and endocrine-metabolic disorders — about $1.4 million. Ten minutes without the blockade would cover the funding needed for hearing aids for children and teenagers with disabilities in special education programs — $142,966.

It may sound unbelievable, but that’s the scale of the loss we live with under these unilateral sanctions. That’s why every donation we receive, given in good faith, matters so much. They are not just material help — they are a real relief for our people.

JR Valrey: The Miami Herald recently printed a story written by Nora Gamez Torres that said that the Cuban military had bank accounts “stuffed with cash” illegally. Can you explain the true reality and why this story is a problem? 

Gabriela Castillo: The Miami Herald’s story claiming that GAESA was hoarding $18 billion has many inconsistencies. The only document they show — a blurry photo of a spreadsheet — clearly states that the figures are in Cuban pesos, but the Herald presented them as if they were US dollars. That hugely inflates the numbers: What would actually be about $745 million was turned into $18 billion.

On top of that, the table adds up columns marked “CUP” and “USD” as if they were the same, which shows that everything was really expressed in Cuban pesos. And it’s hard to believe that a diversion of money equivalent to almost half of Cuba’s GDP could have gone unnoticed by the Cuban authorities themselves.

The real issue is that reports like this leave out the most important factor: the brutal impact of the US blockade, which has created much of the food, medicine and fuel shortages on the island. Without that context, a narrative is built that exaggerates figures and ends up justifying even more sanctions against Cuba.

In short, I thought it was a misreading that only reinforces a political discourse against my country.

If you want to know more details on this topic, I recommend reading the FAIR article “The Miami Herald’s Fuzzy Math Makes Case for Economic Warfare on Cuba.” FAIR is a US-based media watch group.

JR Valrey is a veteran journalist who can be heard weekly on Wednesdays on 89.5FM KPOO or KPOO.com from noon to 3 p.m.. His work can also be heard on www.blockreportradioworld.com. 

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