Hollywood Actors Join Anti-Trump Cuba Initiative

Mark Ruffalo and Susan Sarandon are among the signatories of a new left-wing campaign called “Let’s Keep Cuba Alive.” This initiative was launched recently to criticize President Donald Trump’s pressure on Cuba’s communist regime.

The letter claims that Trump is trying to “induce famine in Cuba,” aiming to bring about “mass hunger and human suffering.” It appears to completely overlook the turmoil and suffering caused by the Castro regime over its 67 years of unbroken communist rule.

Noteworthy signatories listed on the initiative’s website include Roger Waters, a co-founder of Pink Floyd; actor and former Obama staffer Kal Penn; director Boots Riley; New York State Senator Julia Salazar; and around 20 members of the New York City Council. Organizations known for their far-left stances like the Democratic Socialists of America, Code Pink, and People’s Forum have also thrown their support behind the campaign. People’s Forum is known for its close ties to both the Castro regime and the Chinese Communist Party.

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order declaring the Castro regime a national security threat. He backed this up with reasons such as Cuba’s history of supporting terrorism and its repression of political dissent. In his view, the U.S. simply “will not tolerate” actions by the Cuban government.

This executive order includes measures like tariffs on nations supplying oil to Cuba. Currently, the Castro regime hasn’t received oil from its usual suppliers like Venezuela and Mexico, nor from allies such as China and Russia.

The initiative’s letter criticized the executive order as a “cynical ploy” that serves to distract the public from domestic issues, suggesting it could even pave the way for military action, akin to events in Venezuela.

“We join the United States and millions worldwide in condemning this inhumane act against the Cuban people,” the letter states. “This isn’t national security policy; it’s an act of economic warfare aimed at crippling an entire population.”

Ruffalo and the other signatories took issue with Trump’s reversal of the “Cuba Thaw” policy initiated by Obama, which allowed for various concessions while the Castro regime continued its harsh oppression. The letter argues that Obama made substantial efforts to normalize U.S.-Cuba relations.

They note that both nations reopened embassies after 50 years, and many saw this as a positive step away from outdated Cold War policies.

However, Trump’s executive order labels Cuba as an “extraordinary threat,” which the letter claims is false but justifies harsh economic penalties against those trading with Cuba.

The initiative warns that Trump’s order could lead to a power crisis in Cuba, risking hospital services and creating shortages of food, especially affecting children and the elderly. Ironically, the very issues projected are already dire consequences of 67 years of communist rule under the Castro regime, which has left the nation in crisis.

“This policy is unacceptable. It worsens a humanitarian disaster of our own creation. Cuba isn’t a threat to the U.S. Starving a nation into compliance is not diplomacy; it’s a form of terrorism,” the letter asserts.

The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has showcased this anti-Trump letter, applauding the “influential public figures” behind the initiative and encouraging people to sign their petition. They are actively promoting this campaign through social media from their embassy and consulate in the U.S.