We Need To Talk About Cuba | Jeremy Corbyn interview

Ava Santina (0:00)

Am I tough enough?

Jeremy Corbyn (0:01)

Strong and stable leadership.

Ava Santina (0:02)

Total ruba. Hell yes, I'm tough enough. Shut the fridge.

Jeremy Corbyn (0:05)

Not another once. It's the PoliticsJOE Podcast.

Hola, muchísimas gracias por su visitante y nuestra oficina esta mañana para un acto de solidaridad del pueblo de Cuba.

Ava Santina (0:19)

Jeremy Corbyn, good morning.

Jeremy Corbyn (0:20)

Good morning, how are you?

Ava Santina (0:21)

Well, I'm well, but Cuba is suffering, is what we're told. They are suffering extreme shortages of food and fuel. Do you want to talk to me a little bit about what's happening?

Jeremy Corbyn (0:31)

Yes, I've been to Cuba many times in my life and in particular recently with the convoy to support Cuba and we went to take medical aid and discussions about sustainability of the Cuban economy in the future.

First of all, let's be supportive of the people of Cuba. They're going through hell and they've gone through hell for a very long time.

Lack of fuel, obviously, this leads to a lack of electricity, lack of medicines and it means that schools can't operate normally, hospitals face instant losses of electricity and closure. And obviously, employment is badly affected, so employment in hotels, most of which have closed, has ended. So there's now quite high levels of unemployment in Cuba. And the production of food is intense, but nevertheless, they don't have enough food production to sustain the entirety of the population. And so shipments from Vietnam, from China, and in the past from Venezuela have been crucial. So the blockade of Cuba is now at its most intense ever. It's never been free of sanctions or blockade since 1959 So think about that, 1959, the sanctions started against Cuba. And Trump is saying Cuba is a failed state. I would invite Trump, if he would ever do it, to visit Cuba. And despite everything, there's free education, there's free healthcare, and there is an opportunity for everyone to get somewhere to live. You don't see the levels of poverty and street homelessness in Cuba that you do in New York. And so what's Cuba's problem? It's a threat by example to the United States. And these sanctions are now the most vicious ever. And I hope that other countries do what Mexico and others have done and do their best to try and provide aid and support to Cuba.

What's wrong with the European Union?

Ava Santina (2:50)

Well, hang on, can we just stick for one moment on sort of to cosplay as a Fox News journalist for one moment here? How much of this you just laid out there that there's this universal health care, universal housing. How much of Cuba's problems are their own economic policies and how much is or can be blamed on US sanctions?

Jeremy Corbyn (3:06)

I think everything can be blamed on sanctions. The economic policies of Cuba are to invest in renewable energy. They can't invest as much as they want because a, b, they can't access international banking and b, the sanctions mean that some of the crucial parts they need cannot come. China does send stuff over, but they are trying to develop sustainable agriculture and sustainable energy. The idea that everything is Cuba's own, in quotes, mismanagement is, I think, to miss the point.

They're not accessing international finance because they can't. And because of the Helms-Burton Act, any company that they bring in, even a hotel chain, cannot then operate in the United States. And so most global hotel chains operate within the United States. Most companies do. Most airlines are now not flying to Cuba because they cannot refuel in Cuba because there's no aviation fuel. The only two airlines that are operating are either long range Chinese ones which come occasionally, or Air Europa which flies via Spain. And then if you're flying out of Cuba, you then have to make an immediate stop in the Dominican Republic to refuel because there's no fuel. So I was in Havana Airport when I was coming back from the convoy of the airport. Totally empty. We were the only flight.

And it's very sad to see the way these sanctions are being imposed. There is no logic behind them other than Donald Trump's personal and Marco Rubio's personal hatred of Cuba. And they're basically saying everything depends on political change in Cuba. This is crude American power being used against the Cuban people.

Ava Santina (4:58)

Well, what do you think his end goal is here? Do you think he wants it sort of like Puerto Rico? Like what does he want with Cuba? Does he want to add it as a state? Or is it just sort of upset that they're being supplied by Venezuela, China, Vietnam, three countries that are in favor of?