by Thomas C. Mountain
Eritrea and Cuba have a great deal in common. Both are relatively small countries attempting to build socialism in the crosshairs of imperialist embargoes, sanctions and constant military threats. In both nations, the basic means of production “belong to the people, through their governments,” and “education and medical care are accessible, universal and paid for by the state.”
Eritrea: The African Cuba
by Thomas C. Mountain
This article was originally published on telesurtv.net.
“Both countries have been maliciously accused of supporting terrorism and seen their peoples life's made hard due to the embargoes.”
Eritrea is the African Cuba with the similarities between the two small, revolutionary, socialist countries almost too many to list. To start with, Cuba is the only country in Latin America to come to power by the armed struggle just as Eritrea is the only country in Africa to come to power at the barrel of a gun.
Both Cuba and Eritrea are genuinely socialist, with both spurning the corrupt system of electoral “democracy” which is the main tool of western social control in the neo colonial era.
Being socialist Eritrea and Cuba own the means of production in their countries with all land belonging to the people through their governments. Individual share holders are allowed use of the land registered under their names but the land, the basic means of all production, belongs to the state.
Land cannot be bought or sold in either country for the land belongs to the people in its entirety. This is the first most essential step in the development of genuine socialism, not the phony variety claimed by the electoral fraudsters in the west and internationally.
“Both are subject to onerous sanctions by the USA and its minions at the UN.”
Both Cuba and Eritrea are independent and non-aligned internationally and both are subject to onerous sanctions by the USA and its minions at the UN. Both countries have been maliciously accused of supporting terrorism and seen their peoples life's made hard due to the embargoes,
both official and unofficial, inflicted on their populations.
Both countries have a long history of being attacked and slandered by the USA. While both countries are trying to normalize relations with Pax Americana, so far only token offers of peace have been proffered by US Imperialism. Real change, such as the lifting of sanctions, has not
been delivered yet, despite international pressure for the USA to do so against both countries.
Cuba and Eritrea both share the socialist goal -- as we say in Eritrea, of a “Rich Eritrea without Rich Eritreans,” a hallmark of real socialism and a long term process that will absorb the energy of many generations to come.
Both countries actually practice social justice where the needs of the most needy have priority and education and medical care are accessible, universal and paid for by the state.
Life in both countries remains hard for the people with blockades, sanctions and embargoes crippling their economies and limiting the ability of their governments to provide a better standard of living. In both Cuba and Eritrea the people support popular governments despite the difficulties and hardships in their day to day lives.
The similarities between Cuba and Eritrea are to many to list. To put is simply Eritrea is the African Cuba, with both uniquely revolutionary, independent and socialist.
Thomas C. Mountain is an independent journalist in Eritrea, living and reporting from here since 2006. His speeches, interviews and articles can be viewed on facebook at thomascmountain or he can best be reached at thomascmountain at g mail dot com
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