Another Broken Promise of Communism: Will We Keep Ignoring History?

It happened again: the Cuban regime broke yet another promise. Why is anyone surprised?    

At the end of former President Joe Biden’s term in the White House, his administration—following in the footsteps of former President Barack Obama—struck a deal with the Cuban communists. And, once again, the Castro regime failed to deliver.    

Under the agreement, the United States would remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in exchange for the release of 553 political prisoners. Washington moved quickly to fulfill its part. Havana, however, responded with its usual sluggishness—which many Cuba watchers recognize as outright deception.   

Then, when President Donald Trump took office in January, he swiftly reversed the concessions granted to the Cuban regime. Critics accused his administration of insensitivity, arguing that the rollback would jeopardize the freedom of hundreds. But as time passed, it became evident that Cuba had no intention of fully honoring its commitment. The release of political prisoners was excruciatingly slow—so much so that it seemed the hopeful 553 might never be freed.    

Now, at last, the Cuban government claims to have fulfilled its commitment. But there’s a catch: they’ve released prisoners rather than political prisoners. One more deception. One more lie from Havana.    

If the Cuban regime genuinely intended to release political prisoners, we would be celebrating the freedom of artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and rapper Maykel Osorbo—both of whom remain unjustly imprisoned. But the Castro model has never been about justice or human rights, it has always been about propaganda and control.    

Perhaps President Trump and his team did their homework, recognizing the historical pattern of communist deception. History tells us we shouldn’t repeat the mistakes we’ve made in the past. 

Time and again, we’ve learned communist regimes and their autocratic leaders cannot be trusted. Stalin’s Holodomor and Mao’s Great Leap Forward were orchestrated under the guise of justice and prosperity—only to result in mass starvation and death.    

And the lies were not limited to their own people. Communist leaders have repeatedly deceived the world. The 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact duped France and the United Kingdom into believing Hitler and Stalin would not collaborate. During the Korean War, China and the Soviet Union denied involvement while secretly fueling the conflict. And in 1973, North Vietnam signed the Paris Peace Accords, pledging not to invade the South—only to launch a full-scale invasion two years later.    

The Cuban regime has been lying since its inception—boasting about a supposedly superior healthcare and education system while silencing dissent and jailing critics. For decades, these falsehoods have gone largely unchallenged.    

These are just a few of the many lies told by communist regimes throughout history. They will not be the last—not if democratic leaders continue to ignore the past.