The United States, the third most populated country in the world with a population of over 325 million and the world’s largest and most powerful military, is afraid of the island of Cuba with only 11.5 million people. The U.S. government puts its time and energy into a decades-old aggressive blockade to cripple the Cuban economy and make life difficult for the Cuban people – a blockade which also denies U.S. farmers of a nearby trading partner and prevents U.S. citizens from accessing Cuba’s life-saving lung cancer vaccine. The U.S. government fearfully creates a media campaign aimed at painting Cuba in a negative light, full of fictitious fear-mongering media stories, most recently claiming that U.S. diplomats on the island have been victims of “sonic attacks.” The U.S. government is even considering including Cuba on their list of “state sponsors of terrorism”.
Why? Because more powerful than U.S. aggression is ideas, specifically those of the Cuban Socialist Revolution. Despite almost 60 years of the brutal U.S. blockade, the Cuban Revolution has provided free, and world-renowned healthcare and education to its people. Cuba has excelled in the fields of science, medicine, sports and the arts. In a world facing an environmental crisis, Cuba has shown itself to be a global leader in showing the way forward, as the World Wildlife Fund named Cuba as the only country in the world to reach sustainable development. Just imagine how much more Cuba could achieve not only for its people but for the world, without this criminal and unjust blockade!
In Vancouver, Canada, Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade – Vancouver (FCAB-Van) is standing with the Cuban people against the U.S. blockade, and demanding that the U.S. return the illegally occupied territory of Guantanamo to Cuba. On February 15, 2019, Cuba supporters and solidarity activists came together for this monthly action in front of the U.S. Consulate in downtown Vancouver. Holding banners and picket signs high, and chanting “Lift the blockade on Cuba now!” protesters picketed in front of the U.S. Consulate, and gathered in between rounds of picketing to hear from speakers. Alongside local speakers, a message of solidarity from Ottawa Cuba Connections was also played for everyone to hear. In Vancouver, in Ottawa and Montreal, Canada, as well as Kiev, Ukraine, coordinated actions against the U.S. blockade on Cuba are happening every month!
The Vancouver picket action wrapped up with a group photo, defiantly holding banners and picket signs up under the building sign of the U.S. Consulate. This photo was shared on social media for friends in Cuba and around the world to see that Vancouver is standing in the struggle to end the brutal U.S. blockade.
Vancouver activists, together with friends of Cuba in Ottawa and Montreal, Canada, and Kiev, Ukraine, will continue to unite in demanding an end to the unjust U.S. blockade against Cuba! To find out about the next action visit www.vancubavsblockade.org or follow on Facebook or Twitter @NoBloqueoVan.
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