On Cuba: For the Sake of Our Own Humanity, Let Us Show We Care

Alok Mukherjee & Arun Mukherjee (c)February 20, 2026

‘First They Came…’

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

– Pastor Martin Niemoller, 1946

This is a memo to our fellow Canadians, primarily, but also to friends, family and, broadly, all who care for their fellow beings; for humanity; for peace; for the right to be free from intimidation, coercion and bullying; for the right to choose how one lives; for freedom from poverty, violence, intolerance, corruption, oppression; for every person’s ability to pursue their own dreams; and for every country’s, nation’s, groups’ ability to choose the political, cultural, economic and social arrangements for their people without external interference.

Our immediate focus is on Cuba, which is currently under attack by the administration of the much more powerful and resourceful United States of America. Many Cubans live in the proximity and shadow of Guantanamo, a part of Cuba occupied by the US and used as an inhuman prison to hold and torture its Other for years without recourse to any legal remedy. For Cubans, Guantanamo has been a reminder of those pre-revolutionary years when Cuba was ruled by a cruel, corrupt and violent elite and Havana was called “the brothel of America.” As Enrique Cirules has documented in his book, The Mafia in Havana: A Caribbean Mob Story (2017), Cuba was under the thumb of a ruling group that was in cahoots with the Mafia, the CIA and US multinational corporations. It was not just the women of Cuba who were the targets, then, but the country as a whole.

Much has happened since those days. A new Cuba that is egalitarian, just, caring, without violence, discrimination, inequality or discrimination has been struggling to be born. This has not been an easy project. The US, with its politicians driven by narrow political motivations, has placed every possible obstacle on Cuba’s path to achieving its dream. Cubans who came to the US because they disagreed with the leaders of the fight to rid the country of its corrupt and anti-people pre-revolutionary government, formed an important voter block in Florida. They became and have remained an albatross around the political neck of the US. People like Senator Ted Cruz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio represent this block.

There have been periods of thaw and hope, but, by and large, the US has remained committed to the project of destroying post-Batista Cuba, whose emergence was envisioned by its beloved leader, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and their comrades in revolution.

We have visited Cuba a few times in the past 5 years. We love the country, its people, its natural riches and beauties, and its determination to build a caring society. Despite its limited means, Cuba has an amazing education system for its children and youth, a universal health care system that covers everything from primary care to acute care, a community-based and loving system for caring for the elderly and the disabled, and a wonderful cultural life.  We personally saw this when we visited schools, polyclinics, seniors’ daycares, and care facilities for the disabled.  Listening to a children’s choire singing Leonard Cohen’s “Halleluia” moved us to tears. And when those childen came down the stage to shake hands with us, our hearts were full of joy.  Visiting the village doctor’s one room clinic was another moving experience. And so was watching the performance of a child with Down’s syndrome.  We could go on …

Cubans don’t have the easy access to material goods and amenities that have made our lifestyle so wasteful and uncaring of the environment. They live modestly, but in a way that is a lot more healthy than we do.

Instead of loathing or criticising Cuba in a half-assed way, we could learn a lot from it.

We have been very proud that Canada has had a very positive relationship with Cuba going back to the days of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He had a personal friendship with Fidel Castro – Castro came to Pierre Trudeau’s funeral – and Canada became one of the most important sources of political and economic support for Cuba.

Those who came after Pierre Trudeau as our leaders maintained this relationship until, ironically, Justin Trudeau, who had met Fidel as a child, caved in to anti-Cuban elements in Canada.

Despite this, Canadians, increasingly, have chosen Cuba as their leisure destination and Canadian airlines have been among the main links for those travelling to and from Cuba. As well, Canadian businesses have been among the leading investors in Cuba.

There are examples, as well, of Canadians learning from Cuba such as the visit of students from York University Faculty of Health in 2024 for a first-hand experience of that country’s amazing medical and health education system. You can read about it in their account of the visit at https://www.yorku.ca/yfile/2024/07/19/study-abroad-course-in-cuba-breaks-new-ground/.

These have been the right things to do for Canada and Canadians. And as Cuba faces its worst challenge since it got rid of the corrupt, oppressive, violent rule it endured for so long, Canada must do all it can to help the country succeed in meeting that challenge.

We deeply regret that Canada’s government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney has remained silent and, unlike Mexico and so many other countries of the region, offered no material humanitarian support in this hour of critical need facing Cubans.

As Pastor Niemoller reminded all of us in those dark days of Europe in 1940s, we must stand up for others – even those who with disagree with – lest we become the targets and no one stands up for us.

So, we are asking you to heed Pastor Niemoller’s words: an injury to one is an injury to all. We are asking you to please not be silent or uncaring. Tell our politicians that they don’t speak for us if they stay silent. Tell our government that we, the people of Canada, want us to extend help and support to Cuba immediately. Send this message to our government: “We ask you to send oil to Cuba, send food, send medicines, send school supplies, send health supplies. We want Canada to show that we have not forgotten what being human and humane means.”

Cuba: A Photo Gallery

And, now, we would like to share with you a glimpse of the Cuba we saw in our visits in 2023 and 2024.