Political Challenges and External Pressures: A Case Study of Cuba
A lecture by Cuban Ambassador, H.E. Gustavo Machin Gomez, on “Political Challenges and External Pressures: A Case Study of Cuba” was organized on May 21, 2008 and was chaired by former Secretary General, Foreign Affairs, Akram Zaki. Prof. Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman IPS, was the discussant at the event.
Activity: Public SeminarSpeakers: Cuban Ambassador, H.E. Gustavo Machin Gomez; Prof. Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman IPSChair: Akram Zaki, former Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt. of Pakistan
A lecture by Cuban Ambassador, H.E. Gustavo Machin Gomez, on “Political Challenges and External Pressures: A Case Study of Cuba” was organized on May 21, 2008 and was chaired by former Secretary General, Foreign Affairs, Akram Zaki. Prof. Khurshid Ahmed, Chairman IPS, was the discussant at the event.
The guest speaker talked about the fifty years of US military interventions and economic blockade of Cuba. He, however, maintained that despite its political, military and economic might, the United States had not been able to subdue or isolate his country. “We cannot say (whether) we succeeded or not succeeded against the US, but we continue to stand firm to defend whatever we have,” he exclaimed.
Mr. Gomez observed that the ‘Cuban will to resist’ prompted 184 of the 192 members of the United Nations General Assembly to vote against the blockade last year. “Power has its limits. Resistance to hegemony is growing in Latin America,” he maintained.The small island of 11 million people had developed an excellent healthcare system, said the ambassador. Thirty-seven thousand Cuban health workers were helping people in 79 countries. They had restored sight to one million patients since July 2004 and the target was treating blindness of six million patients in Latin America in 10 years, he said.
“We are willing to share our best, but do not believe in teaching others how to do things,” he said enunciating the principles of his country's foreign policy.
Discussing the Cuban struggle, Prof. Khurshid Ahmed said Pakistan has something to learn from Cuba. “Despite the asymmetry and paradigm of power, hegemony, domination, intervention and manipulation, it is possible for the weak to stand to resist for their honour and independence” he said, describing anti-imperialism policy of Cuba.
Concluding the session, Mr. Akram Zaki said that laws were needed ‘more for the protection of the small and the less powerful ones.’
Mr. Zaki mentioned the revolutions in 20th Century saying “if the leadership, like Cuban Batista, is imposed on the people by foreign powers, then their destiny is in disgrace; whereas with the backing of people, the leadership can resist foreign pressures and progress gradually.”
Delineating on the 'psyche of power,' DG IPS stated in his opening remarks, that the “aggression of power” gives birth to the politics of force, coercion, oppression, threats and pressures.
Mr. Rahman also mentioned that the seminar proceedings would be published in the coming issue of “Policy Perspective” Jul Dec 2008.
