this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2026
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[–] richardwallass@sh.itjust.works 25 points 15 hours ago

100% right. Let them manage the shit they created

[–] Zatore@lemmy.zip 53 points 1 day ago

It makes sense that if you have an embassy in a country, then blockade that country, your embassy would be effected by that. Maybe think about your actions beforehand

[–] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 27 points 1 day ago

I'm surprised they still maintain an embassy.

[–] spicehoarder@lemmy.zip 37 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Cuba has the chance to become the world's first 100% Solar Powered Nation. Imagine if they ask China for help.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Cuba is still using cars from the 1950s because of the American trade embargo. Under ideal conditions a transition to pure electric / solar energy would take a decade. With an American embargo in place it would take decades and probably never finish.

[–] spicehoarder@lemmy.zip 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

Isn't Cuba walkable for the most part? I've heard the whole 50's car factoid as a kid, but this really kind of feels like big oil/general motors propaganda. "Look at Cuba they are forced to use cars from our golden years"

I don't think there's anything stopping them from importing electric vehicles from China. Buy if you're walking most places why bother? The main concern would be freight. I am not well versed on Cuba's freight capabilities.

But if you're already cut off from oil, then there isn't really a reason to cry over something you can't have. The Cubans know this. So I wouldn't really say they're decades away from electrification. It'll happen however fast Chinese investors or even the CCP themselves want it to happen.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 3 points 7 hours ago

Isn't Cuba walkable for the most part?

I haven't been there, but the videos I've seen show that they have a very car-centric culture.

The relatives I've had visit have confirmed the classic cars. It isn't propaganda. It's that they have a lot of cars from the time just before the US sanctions went into effect. A lot of those cars now have weird engines out of trucks, but because they can't get new car frames in easily, they're keeping them for as long as they can.

I don't think there's anything stopping them from importing electric vehicles from China

Nothing, except for the money to pay for them.

It seems like you're living in a dream world where Cuba has a strong economy and great relations with China.

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Syria is also doing the same thing since all their infrastructure was destroyed. Solar power works wonders there.

If you do it smartly too, you can decentralize solar better so taking out 1 farm with isnt as bad as taking out a regular power plant with a missile.

[–] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I mean, they have trouble paying for basic stuff. I'm sure they're setting up solar as fast as I can but it's not going to solve the current crisis.

[–] NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca 10 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

China doesn’t necessarily ask for payment - they also support infrastructure development via the Belt and Road Initiative in which they own the infrastructure built.

It’s as much a power play as the US trying to take over, but it does help small nations with projects they cannot afford otherwise. I have family in another Caribbean island and if there is storm damage that destroys a bridge or road, China and recently India are generally open to helping via foreign investment.

It does beg the question of whether small nations are truly sovereign, or if this is just the modern day colonialism without calling it that. However, I’ll say that my family vastly prefers the power grab from India or China that leaves them with something they need compared to the power grabs from the US which basically just bill them for being poor.

[–] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Colonialism was a whole other thing, though, it wasn't just a lack of sovereignty. There was forceful extraction of wealth going on, which is why India went from one of the richest places on Earth to a very poor nation over the period of British rule. There's "neocolonialism" where rich nations get an unfair deal in more indirect ways, but the scale is just dramatically smaller, and at the Western end amounts to shaving off cents.

The thing with Chinese investments is they are happy to front the money sometimes, but eventually they call in their debt. Places in Africa are finding out about this the hard way right now. I also question if powering all of Cuba is really something even they could do in a span of weeks.

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 hours ago

Places in Africa are finding out about this the hard way right now.

For the most part what's happened is that China is not longer funding new and more Africa infrastructure. A lot of this is due to the infrastructure having now been built, and the economic benefits from said infrastructure being used to pay the loans back. As intended.

I also question if powering all of Cuba is really something even they could do in a span of weeks.

They utilize I think 20% solar currently, but the problem is also storage for nighttime power consumption. Even if they could generate 100% during the day they also need the infrastructure to store or generate for nighttime.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Small nations are going to need help from larger, friendly nations, that's just reality. It doesn't make them Colonies until they lose their ability to make their own choices.

[–] NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca 1 points 16 hours ago

But this begs the question of what exactly makes an independent nation. Can you truly make your own choices when everything you do will be scrutinized by the hegemons who dictate how much aid you deserve to receive? Can you ever prosper when international currency favours specific countries and tiny nations can’t trade on the world stage without the big countries taking their cut?

Today, large powers don’t conquer countries in name. Rather, they conquer them via economic force and allow them to stay “independent” in name only.

[–] caboose2006@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago
[–] WhatThaFudge@lemmy.world 78 points 1 day ago (1 children)

**The United States has the gall to request import of fuel for themselves to an island they have a blockade of fuel on. ** Fixed that headline for ya AP

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 6 points 21 hours ago

i, surprised cuba hasnt expelled them already.

[–] TheOneAndOnly@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"...Maduro...who was ousted in a U.S. military operation in January and whisked to New York to face federal drug conspiracy charges"

*Kidnapped.

Ftfy.

Cunts. My country is run, and fed propagandized bullshit, by sycophantic cunts. It sickens me.

[–] CanadaPlus@futurology.today 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If they had said "arrested" or something maybe you'd have a point, but "whisked" isn't far off.

[–] TheOneAndOnly@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I meant kidnapped in place of ousted. We literally just... Kidnapped a sitting ruler, and then just... Moved in the news cycle. Like, I know Maduro wasn't a good guy... But the fact that we just... Dragged him out of his house and "whisked" him out of the country? It's unreal to me in this day and age. I know it's not entirely unprecedented, but I always assumed that all happened because of the ability to obscure the facts from the public eye, due to the lack of mass communication.

[–] frunch@lemmy.world 83 points 1 day ago

Why would they? Good on em for standing their ground. This is all so stupid

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

Seems quite fair.

[–] Mister_Hangman@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

They should let them bring it in one diplomatic pouch at a time.

[–] rc__buggy@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 day ago

lol, lmao even

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

And there is a good chance that those generators are not meant for emergencies, but are their main power source. Enjoy the off-the-grid-experience.

[–] merc@sh.itjust.works 1 points 10 hours ago

It doesn't really matter if they're for emergencies or they're the main power source. Since the Cuban grid is down, the US embassy could only get power using those generators. So, now they're as in the dark as the rest of Cuba.

While the Cuban government could still communicate with messengers on motorbikes, the US can hardly do that to communicate with the US mainland, so they're going to be really cut off.

I assume they have some kind of satellite phone and some spare batteries, but unless they have solar panels or something, once those batteries are gone they're really cut off.

[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If the US had any foresight they would maybe out solar panels up. They’re like, pretty close to the equator.

[–] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

solar is super woke though.

[–] jim_v@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

That's because solar only works when the sun is awake.

[–] breakingcups@lemmy.world 34 points 1 day ago

Anything can be a diplomatic pouch, if you're brave enough

[–] doesit@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Kind of surprised they haven't thrown the whole embassy out yet.

[–] bold_atlas@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And deprive themselves of the fun of making CIA agents and diplomats go crazy and shit themselves?

[–] Chais@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why would they rob themselves of that tiny bit of satisfaction? The US regime made them miserable so letting the embassy suffer along with them is quite literally the least they can do.

[–] NihilsineNefas@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago

"IM NOT LOCKED IN HERE WITH YOU."

[–] LoafedBurrito@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So weird the media attention on cuba, but no one has mentioned how the grid failed.

I blame trump. He did it.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 21 hours ago

trumps next target is cuba.

[–] pipi1234@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

This is terrorism.