21st-century McCarthyism: Cuba in the Crosshairs

On May 25, 2020, a tragic event unfolded in Minneapolis, United States, when George Floyd, a Black man, was arrested while attempting to purchase cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Police officer Derek Chauvin, a white man, held Floyd down and pressed his neck, causing asphyxiation and leading to Floyd's death. Floyd's repeated cries for help, "I can't breathe," were met with no response from the officer, resulting in his death by suffocation.

This incident triggered outrage and protests across more than 2,000 cities in the US and internationally, reigniting conversations about systemic racism and police brutality.

The US State Department, in an attempt to dismiss these protests, blamed the Cuban government, attributing the unrest to their purported desire to "wipe the US off the face of the Earth," as cited in their July 20, 2026 report, "Cuba. The Capital of 21st-Century Communism." The report, a collection of clichés reminiscent of the McCarthy era, warns that Cuba is the world's greatest threat to the US, fueling paranoia among the American population.

The accusations against Cuba are based on unsubstantiated claims of support for resistance movements against dictatorial regimes such as the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and the Tupamaros in Uruguay, as well as various social movements, labor unions, universities, and scientific and cultural platforms.

The report conveniently overlooks the U.S. aggression against Cuba, including the illegal blockade, which has caused $164 billion in damages, armed invasions such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, and assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. The State Department's report, now under the direction of Marco Rubio, a known liar and ambitious politician, seeks to implicate all forms of dissent within the US, conflating different eras and movements as part of an alleged plan to destroy "American values."

The report's significance lies in its revelation of a fascist government seeking to impose its will on the world through force, censorship, and fear, using sophisticated technology to attack Cuba and destroy any challenges it faces. This approach echoes Operation Condor, an international system of repression, and highlights the Trump administration's authoritarian actions under the guise of fear and the need to eliminate perceived threats.