Jeremy Corbyn: Why I Keep Standing Up for Cuba Despite the Political Cost

British MP Jeremy Corbyn arrived in Havana as part of an international solidarity delegation from Nuestra América Convoy and he didn't hold back. In this interview, he explains what he saw on the ground and why he believes this moment represents the worst point in Cuba's decades-long struggle against the U.S. blockade and economic war.

Corbyn points at the Trump administration's sanctions as the driving force behind Cuba's current energy crisis. With no oil coming in, daily life has become a matter of endurance. He called for $18 billion in international investment to transition the island to solar and wind power, resources Cuba has in abundance.

His message to critics who blame Havana's government instead of Washington? The problem isn't Cuba's people or its education. The problem is that international finance has been locked out by political pressure.

TRANSCRIPT

“I’m here today with a delegation from Nuestra America in Havana and having a good discussion about solidarity with the people of Cuba to deal with the many crises created by the blockade,” said Jeremy Corbyn, British Member of Parliament.

“Why did you come, Jeremy?” asked Liz Oliva Fernández, journalist with Belly of the Beast.

“I’ve been involved in supporting Cuba all my life,” Corbyn said. “I remember when Fidel and the leaders entered Havana in 1959, my mother came and woke me up and said: ‘Fidel is in Havana.’”

“So my family were inspired by much of what happened then and since,” he added.

“I’ve been to Cuba on a number of occasions, and stayed in Havana and other places, and indeed, I cycled around Cuba with my eldest son on one occasion,” the British MP recalled.

“So it’s a personal relationship as well as obviously a political one,” Corbyn explained.

“And I’m horrified at the way Cuba has been treated over the past 70 years with the blockade,” he said.

“But this time it’s the worst it’s ever been for Cuba with the blockade,” he added.

“Why? Can you explain?” Oliva asked.

“Well, the energy needs of every country are enormous, obviously,” Corbyn said. “Whether we like it or not, we all rely on oil to some extent in our lives.”

“For motor vehicles, for generation of electricity, manufacture of plastics and so many other products,” he continued.

“It’s not a good thing, but that is the way the world is at the moment,” he said. “I want to see a transition away from an oil based economy over the whole world.”

“Cuba is now forced into that position at huge speed because of the blockade imposed by the Trump administration, with no oil coming into Cuba,” Corbyn explained.

“So clearly, just traveling around in Cuba is very difficult, and sustaining life is very difficult,” he added.

“So we’re here as a delegation from a number of countries,” the MP said. “A lot of us are here, and we’ve been discussing in some detail this morning how we assist Cuba and getting rid of the oil dependency.”

“And so the plans about solar and wind power are very important,” Corbyn noted.

“In Britain, we now produce almost a third of our electricity from renewable sources, mainly wind or solar to some extent,” he said.

“But Cuba has a big advantage and obviously dependent on a lot of sunshine as well as dependable winds,” he continued.

“And so it is perfectly possible for Cuba to transition, but that does require international finance,” Corbyn emphasized.

“And some work has been done on that from the Progressive International with Cuban ministries,” he added.

“What we’re discussing today is some details of how we do that and what pressure we put on our own governments to invest in renewables in Cuba and what pressure we put on the renewable industries around the world,” he said.

“And the point I made in my own speech this morning was that Cuba could become the leader in renewable and sustainable energy through solar and wind,” Corbyn explained.

“And that, in turn, would become something that could be exportable across the Caribbean,” he added.

“Because the economies, in the sense of the structure of them across the Caribbean are not that different in the sense they rely on oil,” he said.

“They’ve all inherited a colonial structure and they’re all therefore very dependent on world oil prices,” Corbyn noted.

“Cuba would be freed from the dependance on world oil prices,” he added.

“Another suggestion that was made today, which I thought was an interesting one, was the production of synthetic fuels as well in Cuba,” he said.

“Because Cuba’s big advantages: the sun, the wind and the land,” Corbyn explained.

“There is a lot of land. You can produce quite a lot of crops, which could help with production of synthetic fuels,” he added.

“Which again reduces dependance on imported oil,” he concluded that point.

“Are you not afraid that this could cause a backlash for your political career?” Oliva asked. “Because Cuba’s a really polarized topic.”

“It’s important that you take a stand on issues that matter,” Corbyn responded.

“I’ve been doing that all my life, and I’m still here to tell the tale,” he said.

“And whenever I do something, international, globally in support of other people, I tell my community about it,” he added.

“I was reelected as an independent member of Parliament less than two years ago, with a very large majority after the Labour Party expelled me from membership,” Corbyn explained.

“And the night before we came here to this delegation in Cuba, we held a musical fundraising event for medical aid for Cuba,” he said.

“We raised a lot of money, a lot of money from people who admire Cuba and donated either money to buy medical equipment and medicines,” he added.

“Which we’ve done or in some cases, turned up in my office and donated medicines and equipment and so on, all of which will be sent to Cuba,” Corbyn continued.

“And so there is a lot of sympathy and a lot of support for Cuba,” he said.

“And whilst the government of the USA is very hostile and the Helms-Burton legislation does have an effect on the banking system and does have an effect on many other industries,” he explained.

“There is also a slightly different approach across Europe and that Britain has always recognized Cuba,” Corbyn noted.

“There was never a delay. Britain continued the recognition,” he said.

“I don’t say there’s a lot of political sympathy with successive British governments, but they did maintain that recognition, and that is quite important,” he added.

“And we’ve always been able to use that to try to leverage reasonable trade arrangements with different European countries,” Corbyn explained.

“And that we’ll continue to do,” he said.

“Cuba must not be isolated. That’s why we’re here,” he concluded.

“This is the last question that I have for you,” Oliva said. “A critique of the Cuban government is that the crisis that it is facing right now is not because the sanctions, it is because of the Cuban government. How do you know?”

“Well, the crisis we’re facing now is as a result of the sanctions against Cuba, essentially, and the isolation of Cuba by international finance,” Corbyn responded.

“We just had a very long discussion with a number of ministers, both in foreign ministry, from energy ministers and from the finance ministers,” he said.

“The problem Cuba has is not the skills of the people. They are wonderful,” he added.

“The education system is very good, the achievements are very good,” Corbyn said.

“But to construct a solar farm, to construct a wind generation plant does require a lot of investment,” he explained.

“You’re talking here probably $18 billion are needed to transform the whole Cuban energy system,” he noted.

“And that can only be done with finance from elsewhere,” Corbyn added.

“So we’re looking to countries all around the world to break the blockade that the US is imposing,” he said.

“And actually invest in the Cuban energy future run by the Cuban people,” he concluded.