Democratic Socialists Celebrate ‘100 Years of Fidel,’ Demand US Pay Reparations to Cuba

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) commemorated “100 Years of Fidel (Castro)” on Thursday and provided the U.S. a list of “unequivocal demands,” including “reparations payments” to Cuba.The Cuban dictator, born on August 13, 1926, led a successful revolution and seized control of the country in 1959. Since that time, the Communist Party has ruled as a Socialist regime.“Today is the centenary of Fidel Castro, and the Democratic Socialists of America recognize the historic significance of both this day and the man. Fidel was an organizer, a fighter, and endures as a stalwart symbol of anti-imperialist struggle and self-determination for the Global South,” the statement begins.“DSA has a long history of solidarity with the Cuban people, their revolution, and their self-determination,” the Democratic Socialists declare.In the same statement, DSA denounces U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for an alleged “genocidal war against the Cuban people” caused by the Trump Administration’s blockade of the communist-controlled, one-party socialist nation.“By intentionally imposing conditions calculated to kill a civilian population, Marco Rubio is leading a genocide,” DSA claims, citing a leftist think tank’s study linking poverty to mortality.DSA provides a list of U.S. actions it says it “unequivocally demands” - including “reparations payments to be made to Cuba for the trillions of dollars in damages the blockade has cost the Cuban people.”DSA also demands “the prosecution of Marco Rubio for crimes against humanity.”Other demands include an end to the blockade, an end to all U.S. “aggression” against Cuba and the normalization of relations between the United States and the dictatorship.Cuba’s current ruler, Miguel Díaz-Canel, rose to power in 2018 and is the first Cuban leader since the 1959 not related by blood or marriage to the Castro family – though, he was handpicked by Raúl Castro to be his successor.Díaz-Canel is also First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.Read full DSA statement here.