Join week of action to #UnblockCuba June 17-23

The Biden-Harris administration is continuing Donald Trump’s war on Cuba. On June 23, the United States will vote at the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution to end the blockade of Cuba. 

We know the world will vote with Cuba, as it has since these resolutions were first submitted to the General Assembly in 1992. We also know that the people of the U.S. don’t support the blockade. Those voices need to be heard.

A week of actions is planned from June 17 to June 23, the day of the U.N. vote.

On June 17, the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) will hold a Facebook live event showing the people of the world opposing the blockade. Alicia Jrapko is taping a message from the National Network on Cuba for this event. It will be aired at 9 or 10 a.m. Eastern at Facebook.com/SiempreConCuba. It is important to tune in and comment from your location and organization.

On June 18 in New York City, ProLibertad and other Puerto Rican and Cuban solidarity groups are having a demonstration called “Two Wings of the Same Bird” at 5 p.m. The U.N. Decolonization Committee meets to discuss Puerto Rico on June 21.

On June 20, bike/car caravans will be held around the world again. Nineteen cities had caravans on May 30. New York, New Haven, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Albany, Detroit, San Antonio, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Bloomington, Indiana, Milwaukee, Albuquerque, Miami and Tampa all had caravans. How can we increase the number of cities?

On June 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern, the film “Sacha, A Child of Chernobyl” will have its online premiere. Cuba treated thousands of children who were impacted by the nuclear accident in the Soviet Union. This is the story of one child, now an adult. Check the NNOC Facebook page for further information.

On June 22 at 8 p.m. Eastern, a 24-hour Zoom event will begin and extend through 8 p.m. on June 23. It will broadcast the debate and vote at the U.N. and solidarity activities around the world, plus a celebration hosted by the Cuban Mission to the United Nations that evening. Register today: tinyurl.com/24hr4Cuba

In addition, many organizations will send letters to President Joe Biden against the blockade, including letters from religious groups and farmers. Some are sign-ons, like IFCO/Pastors for Peace’s “President Biden, Keep Your Promise.”

The Illinois State Assembly just voted against the blockade. Now 25 elected bodies — city councils, unions, labor councils, school boards, county commissions and small farmers’ groups — have called for ending the blockade since May 5, 2020, in just over one year! That’s more than the previous four years.

The Syringes4Cuba campaign has raised more than $100,000 to help Cuba fight COVID-19. More is needed. Cuba needs 20 million syringes to deliver the Cuban-developed vaccines into Cuban arms. Cuba has helped the world with medical solidarity — now let’s help Cuba. Donate directly through the website: Global Health Partners/Syringes4Cuba.

People from EVERY STATE — a veritable People’s Congress — posted photos taken with a sign that reads, “My State Says Hands Off Cuba.” Look at an interactive map, state by state, to see the photos.

Video appeal from Carlos Lazo, a Cuban-American teacher whose bike ride across the U.S. has sparked a caravan movement calling for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba. Lazo and many other Cubans living in the U.S. join their powerful voices to this struggle. He calls on people to come out on June 20, when bike/car caravans will be held around the world.