Defending Cuba in New York City

Two hundred people came to Manhattan’s Union Square on July 15 to defend the Cuban Revolution. They rejected the lies of the big business media that’s attacking socialist Cuba.

The rally was called by the Young Communist League and supported by many different organizations. Among them were the New York-New Jersey Cuba Sí Coalition; the December 12th Movement; the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO): Venceremos Brigade, The People’s Forum; and the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.

Chants of “Cuba sí, bloqueo no!” filled the park. A contingent of Brazilians came to support Cuba.

Everyone pointed to the 62-year-long criminal blockade of Cuba by the U.S. as the source of the socialist country’s shortages. They denounced any intervention in Cuba or Haiti.

Justine Medina, co-chair of New York’s Young Communist League, described how her parents emigrated from Cuba. She said they’re not socialists but they are against the U.S. blockade of Cuba. 

Maicol Lynch and Cameron Orr also spoke from the YCL. Lynch denounced the U.S. economic sanctions on Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Like the sanctions on Cuba, they are cruel and inhuman.

Gail Walker, executive director of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), spoke. She and her late father, the Rev. Lucius Walker, have broken the blockade many times with the Pastors for Peace caravans.

 “When Africa called, Cuba answered,” was a chant started by members of the December 12th Movement. Thousands of Cuban soldiers gave their lives alongside their African comrades in helping to defeat the Nazi armies of apartheid South Africa.

 Manolo De Los Santos, co-executive director of The People’s Forum, raised the campaign to donate syringes to Cuba. Although Cuba has developed its own effective vaccines against the coronavirus, the country is short of syringes.  All the more reason to stop the blockade.  

Monica Cruz from the Party for Socialism and Liberation refuted many of the media lies about Cuba. The TV networks don’t tell their viewers that infant mortality rates in socialist Cuba are lower than in the capitalist U.S.

 Poor and working people in the United States are also hurt by the blockade of Cuba. Two former co-workers of this writer died of meningitis.  

Thirty years ago Cuban scientists developed a vaccine against meningitis. But it’s not allowed to be used in the U.S. because of the blockade.

 Listen up, Joe Biden: Hands off Cuba! Stop the blockade!