“Let’s build unstoppable international
momentum to defeat the U.S. blockade of
Cuba in 2021!” was the title of the third
session of the International U.S.-Cuba
Normalization Concert and Conference
held virtually from November 13-15,
2020. Tamara Hansen, the coordinator
of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity
with Cuba; an executive member
of the Canadian Network on Cuba;
author of the book, “5 Decades of the
Cuban Revolution the Challenges of an
Unwavering Leadership”; as well as an
organizer in the U.S.-Cuba Normalization
Conference Committee was invited to
speak on the issue of, “Building solidarity
online during Covid-19.”
Fire This Time is reprinting an excerpt
of Tamara’s talk from that day. Videos
of the full weekend of virtual events
are available online on the conference
website: www.us-cubanormalization.org
I want to say it has been a real
pleasure working with the U.S.-Cuba
Normalization Conference Committee
for over a year now to bring together a
great series of webinars. At the same
time, Covid-19 has made our Cuba
solidarity work very different and more
challenging. We have also been able to
use new technologies to maximize our
cooperation across time zones, borders,
and any other challenges Covid-19 has
tried to put in our way.
Vancouver
Communities
in Solidarity
with Cuba was founded in Spring 2004
when U.S. President George W Bush
tightened the U.S. blockade on Cuba
and imposed restrictions on travel
and money transfers on the Cuban-
American community. We began with
protest actions and a petition campaign
against the blockade. Since then, we have
been devoted to broadening our Cuba
solidarity organizing with what we call
the 3 C’s – Consistency, Cooperation,
and Creativity!
We believe that all political work
must be consistent and organized into
campaigns to be effective. We know that
U.S. imperialism is very organized and
consistent in its attacks on Cuba. We
have a responsibility to work as seriously,
consistently, and in unity to expand and
grow our local and national activities
to build an effective international
movement.
Why are we pushing the idea of Ending
the U.S. Blockade on Cuba in 2021?
As many know, during this global
pandemic, the U.S. has been tightening
its cruel, over 60-year-old, blockade on
Cuba. While tourism and many other
industries have had to shut down to
stop the spread of Covid-19 in Cuba,
the Trump administration has been
working to strangle Cuba by imposing
further restrictions.
Ending the blockade
on Cuba is a political priority for the
solidarity movement, for all friends of
Cuba around the world, alongside the
great heroic Cuban people.
Why does the U.S. government have
a blockade on Cuba? As many have
said, there are different reasons for
this blockade. But I believe the most
important for the U.S. ruling class, and
what they are most afraid of, is Cuba’s
example. U.S. imperialism has become
increasingly vicious and criminal towards
Cuba because Cuba has established
so much in human progress. Cuba is a
respected government and a respected
country by the world community.
Throughout its history, Cuba, especially
after the 1959 socialist revolution and
its revolutionary internationalism, has
become the standard for humanity.
The acceleration of U.S. attacks on
Cuba reinforces the responsibility of
strengthening our efforts to defend Cuba
and build a broad and robust campaign
in the U.S., Quebec, Canada, and
internationally.
As groups based in Canada – Vancouver
Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
and the Canadian Network on Cuba -
know that Canada and Cuba have had
unbroken diplomatic relations for over 75
years, which we are proud of. However, the
current Liberal government under Prime
Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has
made some unprovoked attacks on Cuba,
including the “sonic attacks” allegations.
This means we must keep an eye on the
government here, not just in the U.S.
Canada is also a leader in the Lima
Group, which is working to destabilize
Latin America, including Venezuela,
Bolivia, and Nicaragua. In Canada and
around the world, we need to work with
parliamentarians, municipal politicians,
mainstream media, unions, progressive
organizations, religious organizations,
and local ethnic media to ensure the
perspective of the Cuba solidarity
movement is being heard.
How do we continue our work during a
global pandemic?
Let me tell you, while President Trump is
busy planning to undermine Cuba’s right
to self-determination and human rights,
we too, in Canada, are working hard and
are busy with building broader solidarity
and friendship with Cuba and the Cuban
people.
The Canadian Network on Cuba has
now had six virtual picket actions on the
17th of the month during this time of the
pandemic. These expanded on the regular
monthly pickets in Vancouver, Montreal,
Ottawa, and Kiev that have been
organized since 2015. Participation in
these virtual pickets has expanded from
four cities to twenty countries counties
across the world, including – Australia,
Jamaica, Russia, UK, Chile, Zambia,
Peru, Venezuela, South Africa, Columbia,
Ireland, Philippines, Argentina, Tunisia,
Italy, Ukraine, the U.S., South Korea,
Puerto Rico & Cuba.
We are looking forward to reaching out
to many more countries in the coming
months.
While some groups are already back
picketing in front of U.S. consulates
and embassies, these virtual pickets
have taken on a new role of connecting
a broader network of Cuba solidarity
organizers around the world. In fact, the
work that has been done by Vancouver
Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
and the Canadian Network on Cuba has
inspired the Colombian Movement in
Solidarity with Cuba (MCSC), who we
are working with to organize a global 24-
hour virtual picket, which is aimed to be
a couple of hours in each time zone where
people would log in to speak and then
log off as another time zone takes over.
We are currently planning this event for
December 17, the 6th anniversary of our
5 Cuban heroes’ freedom from the U.S.
jails.
You may have heard today Fernando
Gonzalez, the President of the Cuban
Institute of Friendship with the Peoples
(ICAP) and one of our 5 Cuban heroes,
encouraging you in his video greetings
to join the virtual pickets on the 17th
and specifically the 24-hour action
on December 17. If you register for
November 17, we will send you info
about December 17 soon!
Virtual pickets are only part of the
work. I want to conclude by saying
we can also discuss increasing online
petition campaigns. To do more creative
campaigns to build awareness by online
contests, or support ICAP led twitter
storms, social media contests, sharing
articles and videos. These activities can be
extended to online days of action, letter
writing to mainstream media, campaigns
to call politicians offices, etc.
While traditional protest actions may be
limited at this time of the global pandemic,
we are responsible for continuing to
pressure the U.S. government. The
UN vote on the blockade, which was
mentioned in the plan of action, will be
in May 2021. This will be an important
international day of action against the
blockade; we all need to join together.
Also, fundraising is something we have
been able to do during the pandemic. Of
course, it is a challenging time financially
for a lot of folks, but the Canadian
Network on Cuba successfully raised over
$53,000 in support of Cuban doctors
with the Henry Reeve International
Medical Brigades.
It is true that Covid-19 can make us feel
isolated and some of our regular methods
of work are not possible at the moment.
However, this is an excellent time for us
to connect across cities, provinces, states,
countries, and across all borders to reach
out in friendship and solidarity towards
each other and Cuba’s valiant people.
We believe connecting to the U.S.-
Cuba Normalization campaign and
working together has been an important
step forward for us in North America.
Together with la Table de concertation
et de solidarité Québec – Cuba, National
Network on Cuba (NNOC), the Canadian
Network on Cuba, the Cuban Institute
of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP),
and the U.S.-Cuba Normalization
Conference Committee we have built
a powerful Cuba solidarity campaign
against the blockade on Cuba. This is
an advancement in terms of building an
effective and strong movement to defeat
the blockade decisively. Our international
work has grown in leaps and bounds, so
let’s continue working together to defend
Cuba against the U.S. empire and its
cruel, unjust, and criminal blockade! Viva
Cuba!
Together, we can do it! We will win!
¡Venceremos!
Follow Tamara Hansen on Twitter: @THans01
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