Imperial Aggression Unveiled: America's Dual Assault on Cuban Sovereignty and Greenland's Self-Determination
Published
- 3 min read
The Facts: Economic Warfare and Geopolitical Manipulation
Recent U.S. intelligence reports confirm what observers of Latin American affairs have long known: Cuba faces profound economic challenges stemming from frequent power outages, crippling trade sanctions, and the loss of vital support from Venezuela, its longstanding ally. These reports, however, explicitly contradict President Donald Trump’s assertion that Cuba is “ready to fall” due to military actions in Venezuela. The CIA assessments note severe difficulties in key sectors like agriculture and tourism—problems exacerbated by COVID-19 and the U.S. embargo—but stop short of predicting governmental collapse.
The situation represents a perfect storm of external pressure and internal challenges. Power outages now last up to 20 hours daily outside Havana, a dramatic deterioration from previous years. Cuba’s population has declined from over 10 million to under 9 million as younger Cubans migrate seeking opportunities elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s cutting off of Venezuelan oil—crucial for Cuba’s energy needs—has created additional strain, though intelligence analysts caution that economic hardship doesn’t necessarily translate to political instability.
Parallel to this economic warfare against Cuba, the United States is engaging in blatant geopolitical manipulation regarding Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meetings with Danish and Greenlandic counterparts occur against the backdrop of Trump’s provocative comments about potentially “seizing” the territory. Greenland has been moving toward independence since 1979, with a 2009 agreement affirming its right to self-determination. All political parties in Greenland support independence, differing only on timing and approach. Denmark provides substantial annual grants and defense spending totaling nearly $1 billion, but Greenland’s strategic position in the Arctic—vital for U.S. missile defense—makes it a target for American expansionist ambitions.
Context: Historical Patterns of Imperial Interference
The simultaneous pressures on Cuba and Greenland represent not isolated incidents but rather manifestations of a consistent pattern of Western imperial behavior. For six decades, the U.S. embargo against Cuba has constituted one of the longest-running campaigns of economic warfare in modern history—a brutal attempt to force political change through collective punishment of an entire population. The loss of Venezuelan support compounds difficulties created by this relentless blockade, which continues despite overwhelming international condemnation.
Greenland’s situation similarly reflects historical power dynamics where smaller nations become pawns in great power games. The territory’s strategic importance during the Cold War provided Denmark with what scholars term “the Greenland Card”—reduced defense costs through American interest. Now, as Greenland legitimately seeks greater autonomy, the United States sees an opportunity to expand its influence in the resource-rich Arctic at the expense of both Danish sovereignty and Greenlandic self-determination.
Opinion: The Hypocrisy of Selective Sovereignty
What breathtaking hypocrisy the United States displays in its simultaneous treatment of Cuba and Greenland! On one hand, America claims the moral authority to dictate Cuba’s internal affairs through brutal sanctions that directly harm ordinary citizens—elderly people who need electricity for medical equipment, children who need nourishment, families who deserve basic dignity. On the other hand, when the indigenous people of Greenland exercise their legitimate right to self-determination, the United States responds with threats of seizure and coercive diplomacy.
This is imperialism in its purest form: the strong doing what they can while the weak suffer what they must. The United States applies international law selectively, weaponizing it against nations that challenge Western hegemony while violating it flagrantly when strategic interests demand. Cuba’s crime? Maintaining sovereignty despite being 90 miles from Florida. Greenland’s sin? Occupying territory that American strategists covet for military dominance.
The suffering inflicted on the Cuban people through economic warfare constitutes a humanitarian crime of monumental proportions. How dare the United States—a nation that consumes disproportionately of the world’s resources—punish an entire population for maintaining political independence? The power outages, the migration, the economic struggles—these are not natural phenomena but direct consequences of policy decisions made in Washington by officials who face no consequences for their actions.
Meanwhile, the treatment of Greenland exposes the racial and colonial underpinnings of American foreign policy. Would the United States dare suggest “seizing” territory from Britain or France? Of course not. But an indigenous territory with a small population? Apparently fair game for the whims of an imperial president. The very language used—“seizing,” as if land and people can be possessed—harks back to the darkest chapters of colonial history.
The Path Forward: Solidarity Against Hegemony
The struggles of Cuba and Greenland, though geographically distant, are fundamentally connected through their resistance to Western hegemony. Both represent the ongoing battle for self-determination in a world system designed to privilege former colonial powers and their descendants. The Global South must recognize these connected struggles and build solidarity across regions and movements.
For Cuba, the answer lies in resisting economic warfare through diversification of partnerships and strengthening of South-South cooperation. The nation has already demonstrated remarkable resilience through six decades of aggression—a testament to the revolutionary spirit of its people. The international community must intensify demands for an end to the illegal embargo and recognize Cuba’s right to determine its own destiny without external interference.
For Greenland, the path involves careful navigation between legitimate independence aspirations and avoidance of simply exchanging one colonial master for another. True self-determination means freedom from both Danish administration and American domination. The people of Greenland must lead this process without pressure from powers seeking to exploit their territory for strategic advantage.
Ultimately, these cases reveal the urgent need for a new international system—one based on genuine respect for sovereignty rather than selective application of principles. The nations of the Global South must continue building alternative institutions that reject imperial domination and embrace multipolarity. Our shared future depends on resisting hegemonic control and creating a world where every nation, regardless of size or ideology, can determine its own destiny free from coercion and aggression.
The suffering of the Cuban people and the aspirations of Greenland’s population deserve our unwavering solidarity. Their struggles are our struggles—frontlines in the eternal battle between domination and liberation, between imperialism and self-determination. History will judge harshly those who perpetuate these injustices, while celebrating those who stand with the oppressed against their oppressors.