GUEST BLOG: Ian Powell – Cuba and New Zealand: a relationship worthy of strengthening

Cuba and Aotearoa New Zealand have some similarities as small island nations (in different hemispheres) and with small populations (over 11,000 and 5,000 respectively).

On the other hand, geographically they are far apart and with different political, economic and cultural histories.

The dynamic of the Cuban Revolution (including its earlier revolutionary movements) is central to these differing histories along with different colonial experiences.

Fidel Castro led the successful Cuban Revolution in 1959

The United States was strongly opposed to the successful Cuban Revolution in 1959 led by Fidel Castro. The former government overthrown by the  Revolution was little more than a US client state; a puppet.

Increasing US hostility leading to economic warfare

When it became clear that  it could not tame the new revolutionary Cuban government, the US broke off diplomatic relations in January 1961.

This set the scene for the US supported attempted invasion in April 1961 to overthrow Cuba’s new government in what was known as the Bay of Pigs.

The invasion proved to be an embarrassing rout. Such was the popular support for Castro’s government and the Revolution, that it was defeated in three days.

Cuba: first withdrawal of diplomatic recognition, second an attempted invasion, and third economic warfare

The US then changed tack. If the Cuban Revolution could not be defeated militarily, it would have to be defeated by economic warfare. In February 1962 the US initiated a trade embargo of Cuba.

Sixty-two years later the embargo continues, strengthening over the years. There was a brief glimpse of progress in 2015-16.

In July 2015,  under President Barack Obama, the US restored diplomatic relations and established an embassy in Havana. He visited Cuba the  following year. However, the embargo continued although it was somewhat relaxed.

This changed for the worse when Donald Trump assumed the presidency in January 2017. Diplomatic relations ended and the embargo was made even harsher than previously. This continued during Covid-19.

President Biden has continued Trump’s harsher conditions. Over Cuba Trump and Biden are two peas in the same pod.

Internationally countries overwhelmingly support ending the embargo. In November 2023 the United Nations General Assembly voted almost unanimously to call for an end to the embargo (187 member countries voted in favour).

Apart from the US, only one other country voted against the resolution – Israel which is presently using genocide to achieve the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Only one country abstained – Ukraine which depends on US military support in response to the Russian invasion.

Warm New Zealand-Cuba relationship

Collaborative relationship between Cuba and Oceania

The relationship between Cuba and New Zealand should be seen in the wider context of Cuba’s collaborative relations with Oceania, particularly over medical aid. This is summarised in a matter-of-fact manner in Wikipedia: Cuban medical doctors work within Oceania and Pacific Island doctors trained in Cuba.

Interestingly Cuba’s only embassy in Oceania is in Wellington. In much larger Australia there is only a consulate in Sydney.

New Zealand’s approach to diplomatic relations with Cuba has been bi-partisan in respect of the main two parties.  It recognised Cuba under the then National-led government in February 1999.

Under its successor Labour-led government the first Cuban embassy in New Zealand was opened in 2007. New Zealand does not have an embassy based in Cuba. Instead its embassy in Mexico is also responsible for Cuba.

Overall the relationship between the two countries could be described as limited but warm. New Zealand has consistently voted for United Nations’ resolutions calling for an end to the embargo.

There is a positive trading relationship between the two countries given their respective sizes and distance between them. New Zealand exported $14.45 million of total goods and services to Cuba in 2023. Diary was the biggest component ($10.66 million).

I recall an informal chat at an event in 2019 hosted by the Cuban embassy, with then National Party foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlie (now Parliament’s Speaker).

He enthused over the thoroughness and accessibility of its health system based on a personal experience when visiting Cuba. Foreign Minister Winston Peters also appears to be well-disposed towards Cuba.

Increasing severity of economic warfare against Cubans

Inevitably the 62 years of American economic warfare (‘embargo’ is its ‘diplomatic speak’) is taking its toll on the health and other essential conditions of Cubans.

US embargo (code for economic warfare) against Cuba

This is reinforced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the additional harsher conditions imposed by the Trump and Biden administrations.

On  25 January 2024 the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on the right to food, right to development, extreme poverty and human rights, and the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights presented a damming report to the member states: UN Rapporteurs damming report on US economic warfare.

United Nations Rapporteurs published devastating findings

They began by reporting on the:

…the damaging impact of the unilateral economic coercive measures imposed on Cuba for the past 62 years by the USA, on Cuba’s ability to guarantee the right to food and to an adequate standard of living for all its citizens and residents.

Next they observed that:

Since 2020, access to basic food and medical supplies in Cuba has worsened due to several factors. One of the most prominent factors affecting food security in the country is the strengthening of economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the USA against Cuba, exasperated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cuba’s exposure to extreme hydro-meteorological events, as well as the re-designation by the US Government, in 2021 of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. [As an aside, there is no evidence to sustain the terrorism accusation]

Take-home points from Rapporteurs

There are many specific inter-linked take-home points in this devastating report of the intensification of the US’s embargo. They include:

• While, in response to the embargo, Cuba had an effective rationing system for food and other essentials based on subsidised prices, in the past decade many Cubans have experienced shortages and increased  prices.
• The embargo hinders Cuban access to the nearest and most competitive import destination (United States market).
• The embargo prevents foreign companies from delivering essential products to Cuba, such as food samples, baby formula and medications. This has greatly increased the purchase price of these products.
• Under US legislation all third country exports of goods containing 10% US manufactured components must receive a US license. Even if granted, the process can take months.
• Foreign ships are prohibited from loading or unloading cargo in US ports for 180 days after delivering cargo to Cuba.
• These above measures have consequentially severely hindered Cuba’s access to both foreign currencies (which significantly drove up inflation) and importing food commodities at competitive prices.
• Cuba’s access to external multilateral finance for programmes in agriculture and rural development, and for rehabilitating and modernising agriculture equipment and infrastructure has been restricted.

Summarising comments

These and other effects of this US economic warfare led the rapporteurs to note that:

The embargo, in conjunction with other factors, has diminished the standard of living and access to food for the Cuban population, who particularly in recent years has encountered severe shortages of medicines, food and fuel. These circumstances not only erode people’s quality of life but also undermine their human dignity.

Further, these economic warfare measures:

…constitute serious violations of international law, including the principle of non-intervention into domestic affairs, the principle of sovereign equality of states and the obligation settle disputes by peaceful means, with severe consequences on the lives and well-being of the country’s population.

Wither New Zealand

While the constructive and positive relationship between Cuba and New Zealand is good, they should be considered foundations for building on.

To begin with the New Zealand government should be more explicit (vocal and persistent) in its opposition to the US embargo, particularly in light of the rapporteurs’ findings.

As a matter of urgency it should look at providing both bilateral and multilateral food relief to Cuba’s population.

Currently it does not do the former but has done the latter through, for example, the United Nations World Food Programme. It is time to begin the former and revive and increase the latter. Fonterra should have a role in this.

Cuban health system made a positive impression on Gerry Brownlie

But this is not a one-way street relationship. There is much that New Zealand can learn from Cuba’s health system which made such a positive impression on Gerry Brownlie with.

Its response to the pandemic’s arrival in 2020 was impressive. I discussed this in an article published by the Democracy Project (22 July 2020): Cuba’s impressive response to Covid-19’s arrival.

Subsequently I have discussed Cuba’s health system, including its impressive vaccine production, in my health system blog Otaihanga Second Opinion. Specifically:

1.   Let’s manufacture our own pharmaceuticals (25 June 2021) .

2.  Doctors call for vaccine development in New Zealand (22 July 2021).

3.  New Zealand should learn from Cuba on vaccine production (28 August 2022).

4.  Learning from Cuba’s public health, bio-tech and community based health system  (31 August 2023).

Here’s hoping that this blog is food for thought to help food relief for Cubans and moving the Cuban-New Zealand relationship from warm to warmer.

Ian Powell was Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the professional union representing senior doctors and dentists in New Zealand, for over 30 years, until December 2019. He is now a health systems, labour market, and political commentator living in the small river estuary community of Otaihanga (the place by the tide). First published at Political Bytes