FEATURED ARTICLE
Some Developments on the Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture in Cuba The Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture System in Cuba started as an immediate response to the acute food shortages during the “Special Period.” While some economists and academics have thrown skepticism toward this program, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO) and many international and national organizations worldwide have promoted this and have urged governments to learn from the Cuban experience. So, how is this going in Cuba today? "The Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture system works in an articulated and harmonious way with the provincial and local governments, and the political and mass organizations, to increase production based on the productive potential of each place," explained Dr. Elizabeth Peña Turruellas, director of that Program, the end of the 98th Work Tour or Recorrido 98. She expounded that this a program whose productions are closer to their destination, that is, the processes that go from the land to the home table are optimized. To strengthen the urban, suburban, and family agriculture program, the following tasks were set for 2024:
Here are the highlights of the accomplishments: 1) Regarding the commitment to achieve 20 square meters per inhabitant dedicated to the production of fresh vegetables and condiments, "to date there are 18.35 square meters, for a 91.75% compliance." 2) As a result of the joint and coordinated work with political and mass organizations (Federación de Mujeres Cubanas and Comites de Defensa de la Rovolución), 37,935 new family yards and plots were added in the first half of this year, for a national total of 1,233,140. ______________________ [1] Organopónicos or organoponics is a system of urban agriculture using organic gardens. These are also the container bed gardens found in urban areas all over Cuba. |
![]() For a clearer picture of the accomplishments here are more figures regarding the production of fresh vegetables and condiments:
The municipalities of Puerto Padre (93%) and Jacobo (94%), of the province of Las Tunas failed to comply. Regarding production for each family’s own consumption or autoconsumo, extension actions have been carried out, together with provincial and local governments, organs, entities, political and mass organizations to promote food production in the empty spaces within the perimeter of the work centers. Perhaps with this update, local governments and peoples’ organizations in the Philippines could figure out better how much an enhanced urban and suburban agriculture could contribute to the economy; improve livelihoods and health; and help promote positive values and even agrotourism. (#)
Note: All the data on recent development were taken from an article: Producing food closer to the table by the Editorial Staff of Granma, July 19,2024. These were a part of the those presented in the July 2024 Regular Session of the People’s National Assembly and the Party plenum held a few days earlier.) Readers may also refer to other articles written by other entities on this topic like the following: Urban farming spotlight: Cuba published in 2023 - https://puregreensaz.com/blog/urban-farming-in-cuba/ Urban agriculture during economic crisis: Lessons from Cuba, Sri Lanka and Ukraine. May 23, 2023 - https://reliefweb.int/report/cuba/urban-agriculture-during-economic-crisis-lessons-cuba-sri-lanka-and-ukraine Urban Agriculture for Food Secure Cities? The Case of Cuba-2022, A University Thesis - https://nmbu.brage.unit.no/nmbu-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/3029235/Bachelor%20Thesis1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Urban Agriculture in Cuba May 17, 2024 - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0094582X241252424 Cienfuegos, the Capital of Urban Agriculture in Cuba February 2, 1999 - https://www.cityfarmer.org/cubacastro.html |
Remembering the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455:
US and not Cuba is the Terrorist State
President Trump included Cuba again in the list of states supporting Terrorism (SST) in 2021. Cuba has been protesting this, however, as it claims that Cubans are among the peoples that have suffered the cruelest of terrorist acts of the US.
It is apt to remember the crime against humankind that hit Cuba hard On October 6, 1976.
On that day, Venezuelan hitmen and assassins Freddy Lugo and Hernan Ricardo Lozano, with support of CIA and other intelligence agents, placed timed bombs inside civil aviation plane Flight 455 of Cubana de Aviacion DC8 while on stopover in Barbados. The bomb exploded and killed all 73 passengers.
This act of terrorism wiped out Cuba’s victorious and youthful national fencing team that was returning home with all the prizes for its successful participation in the Central American and Caribbean Championship, held in Caracas, Venezuela. Other passengers included a small Korean delegation; a girl and 10 crew members, as well as 10 young Guyanese who came to study medicine in Cuba.
This was the first and only plane bombing midflight in the western hemisphere but the US almost kept mum about it, even after witnesses pointed to Luis Posada Carilles and Orlando Bosch’s presence in meetings with the hitmen and some men of the CIA and the FBI. Then Secretary of State Kissinger merely “expressed concern” that their men might have worked with terrorists.
After three decades, when more pieces of evidence came out and the US National Security archive*, in
accordance with Freedom of Information Act, declassified most of its files pertinent to Posada’s career in international terrorism, the hand of the CIA, FBI, became very clear.
The killers and the CIA never expressed remorse for this. The pain is still felt by the Cuban people. (#)
*https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB202/index.htm
Posted on October 7, 2023
US and not Cuba is the Terrorist State
President Trump included Cuba again in the list of states supporting Terrorism (SST) in 2021. Cuba has been protesting this, however, as it claims that Cubans are among the peoples that have suffered the cruelest of terrorist acts of the US.
It is apt to remember the crime against humankind that hit Cuba hard On October 6, 1976.
On that day, Venezuelan hitmen and assassins Freddy Lugo and Hernan Ricardo Lozano, with support of CIA and other intelligence agents, placed timed bombs inside civil aviation plane Flight 455 of Cubana de Aviacion DC8 while on stopover in Barbados. The bomb exploded and killed all 73 passengers.
This act of terrorism wiped out Cuba’s victorious and youthful national fencing team that was returning home with all the prizes for its successful participation in the Central American and Caribbean Championship, held in Caracas, Venezuela. Other passengers included a small Korean delegation; a girl and 10 crew members, as well as 10 young Guyanese who came to study medicine in Cuba.
This was the first and only plane bombing midflight in the western hemisphere but the US almost kept mum about it, even after witnesses pointed to Luis Posada Carilles and Orlando Bosch’s presence in meetings with the hitmen and some men of the CIA and the FBI. Then Secretary of State Kissinger merely “expressed concern” that their men might have worked with terrorists.
After three decades, when more pieces of evidence came out and the US National Security archive*, in
accordance with Freedom of Information Act, declassified most of its files pertinent to Posada’s career in international terrorism, the hand of the CIA, FBI, became very clear.
The killers and the CIA never expressed remorse for this. The pain is still felt by the Cuban people. (#)
*https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB202/index.htm
Posted on October 7, 2023
60 Years of the Blockade and the Filipinos’ Active Solidarity with Cuba
It's now sixty years since the US formally and officially started its heartless economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba. The Cuban people rejoice over how they have overcome their untold suffering and their moving forward towards building a socialist system. They continue to call for support to dismantle the blockade.
Filipinos who continue to find inspiration in the achievements of their comrades-the struggle are ever ready to respond to Cuba. They are also thankful that the Philippines has voted favorably for Cuba in the 29 times that the UN General Assembly voted on this.
The blockade is integral to US’s hybrid warfare
The counting of 60 years started on February 3, 1962 when President John F. Kennedy declared Proclamation 3447. Using Section 620(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act, he ordered the “total embargo” of its trade with Cuba. This proclamation formalized or officialized all the aggressive actions that the US used against Cuba from the time the revolution triumphed in January 1959.
In Kennedy’s proclamation, the US used as justification Cuba’s relations with socialist countries. It purportedly weakens the inter-American system. As time goes on, however, the US changes its reason.
Much earlier, on April 6, 1960, Undersecretary of State Lester D. Mallory laid down the real objectives of their policy regarding Cuba. In his memorandum, he said that they want to deny Cuba money and supplies to weaken the country’s economic life, lower the workers’ wages so as to create poverty and hopelessness so that the people are incited to overthrow the government. The effect that this kind of blockade wanted to create is no different from the effect that a naval blockade creates: bar imported products from landing; prevent the export of goods; and starve and paralyze/force the surrender of the enemy force or government.
Cuba has to buy from other countries many of its needs like: medicines; laboratory equipment; hospital equipment and supplies, especially those required for medical procedures; vehicles and their spare parts; school supplies and equipment. The US, however has prohibited Cuba from buying food and medicines from its companies and citizens for six decades now. So, Cuba sources its needs from places farther away, like in Europe, thus transportation takes longer and the process is more expensive.
President Donald Trump tightened US’s economic strangulation against Cuba. He authorized more than 240 measures. Washington became more stringent with its measures to deny Cuba of its needed oil. For example, the US military prevented ships from delivering oil from Venezuela by the strength of the sanctions against the vessels and their owners. Trump’s measures made it doubly difficult for people coming from the US, even the Cubans among them, to visit Cuba. Money transfers to Cuba became almost impossible.
When the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst, the US shamelessly showed how cruel its policy towards Cuba is. While Cuba did everything it could to fight the pandemic not only in its own territory but also in about 50 other countries and non-self-governing territories, the US prevented the flow of donations from solidarity organizations to Cuba, tried to hamper Cuba’s vaccine development and limited the possibilities for Cuba’s access to medicines and basic supplies.
This economic strangulation of Cuba can be classified under unconventional warfare. In six decades, it has killed many human lives; and if monetized, the material loss and the lost opportunity to earn would amount to $144,413,400,000.
The blockade is not a convenient excuse, is vehemently opposed and overcome
Some critics say that the Cuban government is just using the blockade as a convenient excuse for its failures and weaknesses in improving the economy of the country. They say that after all, Cuba can approach other countries for trading if it wants to.
This comment turns a blind eye to the fact that this asphyxiation is extraterritorial in effect; that the US could force upon other governments its policy on Cuba by wielding the undeniable reality that it is still the strongest military power in the world.
The US has the biggest number of arsenals of weapons: nuclear, bio-chemical and traditional. It has the biggest number of warships, including submarines and nuclear-powered destroyers. And even though it is not the country with the biggest number of military personnel, it has contractor companies with personnel that the US Special Forces and the US Marines had trained previously and are still performing such jobs as sabotage, surgical operations, surveillance, abduction and murder.
That’s why many governments and companies of other countries avoid transacting business with Cuba. Those who dare get pressured, harassed and accused and their assets are seized.
It is very unfair to the Cuban people and government to accuse them that they use the blockade as an excuse. The entire country never stops striving to improve people’s lives. In fact, it overcame the worst crises of the “special period” or those difficult years immediately after the demise of the USSR, when its subsidy ended and the secure market for Cuba’s sugar was no more. They strove to improve the health conditions, they continued to raise the quality of education and cultural level of the people.
Cuba tirelessly trains doctors in the biggest international school of medicine in the world and in other training institutes. It is the only country in the whole world that sends brigades of doctors and nurses anywhere in the world rife with epidemic or enduring a disaster.
Cuba continues to invent and produce medicines. This is the only country in Latin America that invented four kinds of vaccines against Covid. (A fifth is at its final stage testing.) As of August 2020, BioCubaFarma, a group in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry had more than 2,400 patents for Cuba’s own medicines, vaccines for different kinds of illnesses and diagnostic instruments. All it needs are additional funds to increase production and make these products available to people in other countries.
Cuba is capable of improving the different aspects of living. Although it does not boast of dramatic developments, more people are now living outside of the very old buildings that were subdivided to families. In 2019, after only the first year of implementation of the Housing Policy, Cuba was able to build 44,500 houses, exceeding by 11,000 the number planned for a year.
Buses in Cuba are not any more the “vintage 1950s.” While these are not yet Cuban made, these resulted from the principled friendships with countries that donated these. For instance, this January 2022, the government of Japan donated 84 buses. Earlier, a Chinese company donated a larger number of buses.
Manufacturing in Cuba is no longer confined to sugar centrals, cigars and cigarette factories, and rum distilleries. Cubans are now making induction stoves, e-tricycles, cell phones and tractors (that are better than the 2012 Tractolvas). Excluding those that are in the Mariel Special Development Zone, Cuba has plants that make fertilizers, process milk, make fruit juices, and produce supplies for personal hygiene.
Laws are being continually reviewed and improved to better serve the requirements in building a rules-based socialist country. Up to now, the draft New Family Code that guarantees, among others, equal rights of all genders, is being discussed vigorously from higher Party and government organs and leadership bodies of mass organizations to those in the community level. They likewise conduct thorough discussions on the Constitution in the different parts of the country guided by the general aim of promoting socialist democracy.
Closer ties between the Cuban and Filipino People
Cuban-Filipino friendship has existed since a long time ago although communication lines were sometimes cut. The relationship that started when “Indio-Asianos” or “Chinos de Manila” brought by galleons landed in Cuba grew stronger during the two countries’ struggle against Spanish colonialism. The members of the movements of the two countries gave each other’s movement political support that reached the point whereby they discussed through letters the idea of sending fighting troops/ expeditionary forces to the other’s country.1 Some Cubans even joined Filipino revolutionary/republican forces from the War of Independence to the Philippine-American War.2
While the defeat of the Filipino independence movement ended the ties, Cuba was the first to recognize the new Philippine republic in 1946. No significant development, however, happened in the relationship in a situation where both countries were under Washington’s wings as neo-colonies until the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959. Again, the Cuban-Filipino ties were severed in January 1961 when the Philippines went along with the US in cutting diplomatic relations with Cuba.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
While the Philippines usually votes in the UN according to how the US votes, it has consistently voted in favor of the Cuban-drafted resolution since Cuba submitted a plea to dismantle the blockade. The Philippine government is laudable for this.
The final part of the speech of H.E. Ms. Kira Christianne D. Azucena, Philippines’ Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, when she voted in November 2020 during the 28th time that Cuba presented its draft resolution against the blockade went:
“The blockade presents a main obstacle for Cuba’s socio-economic development.
“It poses a serious challenge for Cuba’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It violates international law. It is contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
“Mr. President,
“With cultural and economic ties dating as far back as the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade in the early
16th century, Cuba and its people will always have the unwavering support of the Philippines in their
legitimate claim to pursue their own sovereign path to peace and development.
“The United States must lift the embargo against Cuba unilaterally, unconditionally, once and for all”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Apart from government support is the support of organizations of Filipinos who find inspiration in the Cuban revolution. The Philippine-Cuban Friendship Society was established in 1978; the Amistad since the 1990s. A third group, the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association or PhilCuba was established in 2000 and has been holding different activities like study sessions and forums on the historical ties between the two countries, on how the Cubans strive to overcome difficulty and how the blockade hampers Cuban development. It has conducted signature campaigns and different online campaigns to let people know about the injustice of US’s imposition of the blockade and other violations of the sovereignty of the Cuban people.
Significance of the support for the struggle against the blockade
Cuba has a number of great contributions to the world today. It can give far bigger contributions for the advance of humanity if is allowed, and even more so, if it is supported in the direction the people have decided to pursue.
The people around the world should help dismantle the blockade and oppose US aggression against Cuba. (#)
Source/s:
1. In the exchange of letters between Mariano Ponce of the Aguinaldo-led revolutionary government and Jose Alberto Izquierdo of Cuba, Ponce asked the Revolutionary Party of Cuba in New York to send Cuban revolutionaries as expeditionary forces to the Philippines. Gonzalo de Quesada responded to this, and it seemed the Cuban revolutionaries were interested in the idea, the Cubans in New York, though, were not capable of giving more than the basic material aid to the Philippines because they had to concentrate on their own struggle. Ponce felt sad for this and he said, “Me desconsuelan las dificultades que V. insinúa para armar una expedición desde New York.” (The difficulties that you hint at in arming an expedition from New York distress me.)
He had another letter for Izquierdo dated May 11, 1897 that said that some representatives of the revolutionary government in Manila have the idea of sending Filipino soldiers to Havana to support their struggle for independence. This was followed-up in September 8 of the same year but it was no longer implemented. Aside from the exchange of letters, the paper of Cuban revolutionaries, La Republic Cubana came up with issues that saluted the Philippine revolution in its first operation in august 1896. Rizal’s biography, a letter from the Hongkong Committee and a letter from Manila were also published in that paper.
2. Dr. Samuel K. Tan’s book, Philippine-American War 1899‒1903 mentions that several Cubans joined the revolutionary armed forces of the Philippines but he mentioned only one name: Gabriel Bellady Mendez, an engineer who became an infantryman.
Joselito Zulueta’s Comprehensive History of the Philippine Navy http://www.geocites.ws/kalasag ng lahi/main_pn_his.html mentions that one of the officials of the first naval forces of the Philippines was Vicente Catalan, a Cuban-Spanish who was better known as the “admiral of the Naval Force of the Philippines” and one of those who seized the naval base in Subic from the Spanish:
“Another key addition was the Compañia de Filipinas, the 800-ton Spanish steamer belonging to the Compañia General de Tabacos. The vessel had been seized by a mutinous, largely Filipino crew under the fiery Cuban-Spanish Vicente Catalan who hoisted the Filipino flag and proclaimed himself 'Admiral of the Filipino Navy.' In July 5,1898, Adm. Catalan with his Filipino sailors helped seize Subic Bay”
Written by MM Laurinaria (Reposted from Kilusan)
Posted on 19 May 2022
- Cuba’s ability to overcome 60 years of economic asphyxiation is awe-inspiring
- By siding with Cuba on the blockade, the Philippines upholds Cuba’s sovereignty and values the long-term friendship and their being “hermanos en la lucha” against colonialism
It's now sixty years since the US formally and officially started its heartless economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba. The Cuban people rejoice over how they have overcome their untold suffering and their moving forward towards building a socialist system. They continue to call for support to dismantle the blockade.
Filipinos who continue to find inspiration in the achievements of their comrades-the struggle are ever ready to respond to Cuba. They are also thankful that the Philippines has voted favorably for Cuba in the 29 times that the UN General Assembly voted on this.
The blockade is integral to US’s hybrid warfare
The counting of 60 years started on February 3, 1962 when President John F. Kennedy declared Proclamation 3447. Using Section 620(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act, he ordered the “total embargo” of its trade with Cuba. This proclamation formalized or officialized all the aggressive actions that the US used against Cuba from the time the revolution triumphed in January 1959.
In Kennedy’s proclamation, the US used as justification Cuba’s relations with socialist countries. It purportedly weakens the inter-American system. As time goes on, however, the US changes its reason.
Much earlier, on April 6, 1960, Undersecretary of State Lester D. Mallory laid down the real objectives of their policy regarding Cuba. In his memorandum, he said that they want to deny Cuba money and supplies to weaken the country’s economic life, lower the workers’ wages so as to create poverty and hopelessness so that the people are incited to overthrow the government. The effect that this kind of blockade wanted to create is no different from the effect that a naval blockade creates: bar imported products from landing; prevent the export of goods; and starve and paralyze/force the surrender of the enemy force or government.
Cuba has to buy from other countries many of its needs like: medicines; laboratory equipment; hospital equipment and supplies, especially those required for medical procedures; vehicles and their spare parts; school supplies and equipment. The US, however has prohibited Cuba from buying food and medicines from its companies and citizens for six decades now. So, Cuba sources its needs from places farther away, like in Europe, thus transportation takes longer and the process is more expensive.
President Donald Trump tightened US’s economic strangulation against Cuba. He authorized more than 240 measures. Washington became more stringent with its measures to deny Cuba of its needed oil. For example, the US military prevented ships from delivering oil from Venezuela by the strength of the sanctions against the vessels and their owners. Trump’s measures made it doubly difficult for people coming from the US, even the Cubans among them, to visit Cuba. Money transfers to Cuba became almost impossible.
When the Covid-19 pandemic was at its worst, the US shamelessly showed how cruel its policy towards Cuba is. While Cuba did everything it could to fight the pandemic not only in its own territory but also in about 50 other countries and non-self-governing territories, the US prevented the flow of donations from solidarity organizations to Cuba, tried to hamper Cuba’s vaccine development and limited the possibilities for Cuba’s access to medicines and basic supplies.
This economic strangulation of Cuba can be classified under unconventional warfare. In six decades, it has killed many human lives; and if monetized, the material loss and the lost opportunity to earn would amount to $144,413,400,000.
The blockade is not a convenient excuse, is vehemently opposed and overcome
Some critics say that the Cuban government is just using the blockade as a convenient excuse for its failures and weaknesses in improving the economy of the country. They say that after all, Cuba can approach other countries for trading if it wants to.
This comment turns a blind eye to the fact that this asphyxiation is extraterritorial in effect; that the US could force upon other governments its policy on Cuba by wielding the undeniable reality that it is still the strongest military power in the world.
The US has the biggest number of arsenals of weapons: nuclear, bio-chemical and traditional. It has the biggest number of warships, including submarines and nuclear-powered destroyers. And even though it is not the country with the biggest number of military personnel, it has contractor companies with personnel that the US Special Forces and the US Marines had trained previously and are still performing such jobs as sabotage, surgical operations, surveillance, abduction and murder.
That’s why many governments and companies of other countries avoid transacting business with Cuba. Those who dare get pressured, harassed and accused and their assets are seized.
It is very unfair to the Cuban people and government to accuse them that they use the blockade as an excuse. The entire country never stops striving to improve people’s lives. In fact, it overcame the worst crises of the “special period” or those difficult years immediately after the demise of the USSR, when its subsidy ended and the secure market for Cuba’s sugar was no more. They strove to improve the health conditions, they continued to raise the quality of education and cultural level of the people.
Cuba tirelessly trains doctors in the biggest international school of medicine in the world and in other training institutes. It is the only country in the whole world that sends brigades of doctors and nurses anywhere in the world rife with epidemic or enduring a disaster.
Cuba continues to invent and produce medicines. This is the only country in Latin America that invented four kinds of vaccines against Covid. (A fifth is at its final stage testing.) As of August 2020, BioCubaFarma, a group in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry had more than 2,400 patents for Cuba’s own medicines, vaccines for different kinds of illnesses and diagnostic instruments. All it needs are additional funds to increase production and make these products available to people in other countries.
Cuba is capable of improving the different aspects of living. Although it does not boast of dramatic developments, more people are now living outside of the very old buildings that were subdivided to families. In 2019, after only the first year of implementation of the Housing Policy, Cuba was able to build 44,500 houses, exceeding by 11,000 the number planned for a year.
Buses in Cuba are not any more the “vintage 1950s.” While these are not yet Cuban made, these resulted from the principled friendships with countries that donated these. For instance, this January 2022, the government of Japan donated 84 buses. Earlier, a Chinese company donated a larger number of buses.
Manufacturing in Cuba is no longer confined to sugar centrals, cigars and cigarette factories, and rum distilleries. Cubans are now making induction stoves, e-tricycles, cell phones and tractors (that are better than the 2012 Tractolvas). Excluding those that are in the Mariel Special Development Zone, Cuba has plants that make fertilizers, process milk, make fruit juices, and produce supplies for personal hygiene.
Laws are being continually reviewed and improved to better serve the requirements in building a rules-based socialist country. Up to now, the draft New Family Code that guarantees, among others, equal rights of all genders, is being discussed vigorously from higher Party and government organs and leadership bodies of mass organizations to those in the community level. They likewise conduct thorough discussions on the Constitution in the different parts of the country guided by the general aim of promoting socialist democracy.
Closer ties between the Cuban and Filipino People
Cuban-Filipino friendship has existed since a long time ago although communication lines were sometimes cut. The relationship that started when “Indio-Asianos” or “Chinos de Manila” brought by galleons landed in Cuba grew stronger during the two countries’ struggle against Spanish colonialism. The members of the movements of the two countries gave each other’s movement political support that reached the point whereby they discussed through letters the idea of sending fighting troops/ expeditionary forces to the other’s country.1 Some Cubans even joined Filipino revolutionary/republican forces from the War of Independence to the Philippine-American War.2
While the defeat of the Filipino independence movement ended the ties, Cuba was the first to recognize the new Philippine republic in 1946. No significant development, however, happened in the relationship in a situation where both countries were under Washington’s wings as neo-colonies until the victory of the Cuban revolution in 1959. Again, the Cuban-Filipino ties were severed in January 1961 when the Philippines went along with the US in cutting diplomatic relations with Cuba.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
While the Philippines usually votes in the UN according to how the US votes, it has consistently voted in favor of the Cuban-drafted resolution since Cuba submitted a plea to dismantle the blockade. The Philippine government is laudable for this.
The final part of the speech of H.E. Ms. Kira Christianne D. Azucena, Philippines’ Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, when she voted in November 2020 during the 28th time that Cuba presented its draft resolution against the blockade went:
“The blockade presents a main obstacle for Cuba’s socio-economic development.
“It poses a serious challenge for Cuba’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It violates international law. It is contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
“Mr. President,
“With cultural and economic ties dating as far back as the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade in the early
16th century, Cuba and its people will always have the unwavering support of the Philippines in their
legitimate claim to pursue their own sovereign path to peace and development.
“The United States must lift the embargo against Cuba unilaterally, unconditionally, once and for all”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Apart from government support is the support of organizations of Filipinos who find inspiration in the Cuban revolution. The Philippine-Cuban Friendship Society was established in 1978; the Amistad since the 1990s. A third group, the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association or PhilCuba was established in 2000 and has been holding different activities like study sessions and forums on the historical ties between the two countries, on how the Cubans strive to overcome difficulty and how the blockade hampers Cuban development. It has conducted signature campaigns and different online campaigns to let people know about the injustice of US’s imposition of the blockade and other violations of the sovereignty of the Cuban people.
Significance of the support for the struggle against the blockade
Cuba has a number of great contributions to the world today. It can give far bigger contributions for the advance of humanity if is allowed, and even more so, if it is supported in the direction the people have decided to pursue.
The people around the world should help dismantle the blockade and oppose US aggression against Cuba. (#)
Source/s:
1. In the exchange of letters between Mariano Ponce of the Aguinaldo-led revolutionary government and Jose Alberto Izquierdo of Cuba, Ponce asked the Revolutionary Party of Cuba in New York to send Cuban revolutionaries as expeditionary forces to the Philippines. Gonzalo de Quesada responded to this, and it seemed the Cuban revolutionaries were interested in the idea, the Cubans in New York, though, were not capable of giving more than the basic material aid to the Philippines because they had to concentrate on their own struggle. Ponce felt sad for this and he said, “Me desconsuelan las dificultades que V. insinúa para armar una expedición desde New York.” (The difficulties that you hint at in arming an expedition from New York distress me.)
He had another letter for Izquierdo dated May 11, 1897 that said that some representatives of the revolutionary government in Manila have the idea of sending Filipino soldiers to Havana to support their struggle for independence. This was followed-up in September 8 of the same year but it was no longer implemented. Aside from the exchange of letters, the paper of Cuban revolutionaries, La Republic Cubana came up with issues that saluted the Philippine revolution in its first operation in august 1896. Rizal’s biography, a letter from the Hongkong Committee and a letter from Manila were also published in that paper.
2. Dr. Samuel K. Tan’s book, Philippine-American War 1899‒1903 mentions that several Cubans joined the revolutionary armed forces of the Philippines but he mentioned only one name: Gabriel Bellady Mendez, an engineer who became an infantryman.
Joselito Zulueta’s Comprehensive History of the Philippine Navy http://www.geocites.ws/kalasag ng lahi/main_pn_his.html mentions that one of the officials of the first naval forces of the Philippines was Vicente Catalan, a Cuban-Spanish who was better known as the “admiral of the Naval Force of the Philippines” and one of those who seized the naval base in Subic from the Spanish:
“Another key addition was the Compañia de Filipinas, the 800-ton Spanish steamer belonging to the Compañia General de Tabacos. The vessel had been seized by a mutinous, largely Filipino crew under the fiery Cuban-Spanish Vicente Catalan who hoisted the Filipino flag and proclaimed himself 'Admiral of the Filipino Navy.' In July 5,1898, Adm. Catalan with his Filipino sailors helped seize Subic Bay”
Written by MM Laurinaria (Reposted from Kilusan)
Posted on 19 May 2022
Vaccines against Covid-19: A Field from Which Big Pharma Profits, How About the Masses?
Saving the lives of numerous people is a big challenge for governments in the face of a public health system that has been greatly weakened by neoliberalism and under the mercy of Big Pharma.
The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened poverty around the world. Some sections, however, are earning profits and have become several times wealthier from the pandemic. Most notable are the big private hospitals that now take in even the medium and low-income patients that could not be accommodated by the public health systems; and, the big pharmaceutical companies that sell different medical preparations to hopefully give relief and now are racing to develop vaccines.
Cuba’s experience, however, has shown that the world does not have to be at the mercy of Big Pharma and does not have to allow those to funnel huge amounts from workers and others that create social wealth.
Race for vaccines
Because SARS-CoV-2, which caused Covid-19, is a virus, antibiotics don’t cure those that suffer from it. Experts advise prevention of the spread of the contagion through health protocols (washing of hands, disinfection, physical distancing, wearing masks, etc.) and immunization of the population. For this, the normal ways of strengthening the immune system: balanced meals, exercise and getting under the sun are not the only important things. It has been proven by modern medical science that vaccinating with anti-bodies prevent the virus from getting inside the body or from really doing harm.
So, as early as March this year, the first vaccines started their safety trials. Now, 57 candidate vaccines are undergoing clinical trials on humans and not less than 87 candidate vaccines are in the preclinical trials in animals.
As the process is long and expensive, only 13 have reached phase 3 of the clinical trials.1 Comprising this are four made by US companies, six made by big companies and state institutions of China, one made by a British-Swedish company in collaboration with a University in the UK, one made by a research institute under the Ministry of Health of Russia and one made by an Indian company.
US federal funds supported leading companies of the US like Moderna, Jansen, Merck and Novavax. The US, likewise, secured its purchase of millions of doses from these four companies and millions more from Pfizer, Astra Zeneca and the French company Sanofi.
Monopolized by the US and wealthy countries
The US is now hoarding vaccines against Covid-19. With the deals it made for the purchase of one billion and 700 million doses, it has Covid-19 vaccine supplies several times more than the usual need of two doses for its 326.7 million population. Canada too has secured much more than the amount needed for its 37.4 million population as it has made a deal for the purchase of 414 million doses of vaccines. The one billion and 585 million doses that the EU has secured is several times more than its 445 million population. Japan and Australia have also hoarded a big amount.2
This is the reason why leaders of countries that do not have large incomes or do not have large savings are worrying. That is why the WHO calls on governments to share their vaccines with others. That is why, the COVAX facility has been put up, to make sure that some vaccines and money are centralized to give access to countries that are not wealthy: to be able to sell to countries that somehow have the capacity to buy and to subsidize those that are poorer. But not everyone is ready to cooperate with this scheme.
Learn from Cuba
Some countries do not have large incomes but still do their best not to depend on Big Pharma. In this arena, Cuba, perhaps the poorest among the countries working on vaccines, shines.
Aside from its being small, (a little smaller than Luzon island) it is not rich in mineral resources also. And worse, it has been almost 60 years (since February 3, 1962) since the US imposed a total embargo that in effect, is an economic, trade and financial blockade against Cuba as the US has likewise barred other countries from trading and from entering into cooperative relations with it.
Despite these, the Cuban government and people are overcoming all difficulties. One way of overcoming is the quality of their health system that is nothing but awesome for many because it serves not only Cuba’s population but also those of other countries that seek Cuba’s help.
As regards the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cuban health system was able to maintain a low level of contagion compared to many countries in Latin America. It has a well-organized tracing system; it conducts a thorough examination of persons suspected of the illness and treats them. Because Covid-19 is still new, Cuban doctors give repurposed medicines and vaccines and food supplements made by Cuban scientists. Their engineers have manufactured ventilators and other instruments that they could not easily buy because of the blockade.
Some doctors, nurses and technicians have gone out of the country. They belong to the more than two thousand brigadistas of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade. They treated those infected with Covid-19 in 34 countries and 4 non-independent territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, West Asia (Middle East), and the Caucasus.
The news in August that Cuba was developing a vaccine, Soberana 1, and that it was starting clinical trials on humans surprised us. We learned that another would follow. At present, they now have four candidate vaccines, all in the clinical trial stage on humans. The Finlay Institute of Vaccines developed the first two while the Center for Genetic engineering and Biotechnology developed the second. The Cuban scientists target to have the first vaccine approved in the middle of February.
Like all the other medicines, vaccines, and medical services, Cuba gives this to all Cuban citizens free of charge. Big Pharma does not earn from this.
A society that considers health as a human right looks for ways of actualizing: Healthcare for all! (#)
Source/s:
1 Carl Zimmer, Jonathan Corum and Sui-Lee Wee Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. Updated December 2, 2020, New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.htm
2 Ibid.
Written by MM Laurinaria (Reposted from Kilusan)
Posted December 2020
Saving the lives of numerous people is a big challenge for governments in the face of a public health system that has been greatly weakened by neoliberalism and under the mercy of Big Pharma.
The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened poverty around the world. Some sections, however, are earning profits and have become several times wealthier from the pandemic. Most notable are the big private hospitals that now take in even the medium and low-income patients that could not be accommodated by the public health systems; and, the big pharmaceutical companies that sell different medical preparations to hopefully give relief and now are racing to develop vaccines.
Cuba’s experience, however, has shown that the world does not have to be at the mercy of Big Pharma and does not have to allow those to funnel huge amounts from workers and others that create social wealth.
Race for vaccines
Because SARS-CoV-2, which caused Covid-19, is a virus, antibiotics don’t cure those that suffer from it. Experts advise prevention of the spread of the contagion through health protocols (washing of hands, disinfection, physical distancing, wearing masks, etc.) and immunization of the population. For this, the normal ways of strengthening the immune system: balanced meals, exercise and getting under the sun are not the only important things. It has been proven by modern medical science that vaccinating with anti-bodies prevent the virus from getting inside the body or from really doing harm.
So, as early as March this year, the first vaccines started their safety trials. Now, 57 candidate vaccines are undergoing clinical trials on humans and not less than 87 candidate vaccines are in the preclinical trials in animals.
As the process is long and expensive, only 13 have reached phase 3 of the clinical trials.1 Comprising this are four made by US companies, six made by big companies and state institutions of China, one made by a British-Swedish company in collaboration with a University in the UK, one made by a research institute under the Ministry of Health of Russia and one made by an Indian company.
US federal funds supported leading companies of the US like Moderna, Jansen, Merck and Novavax. The US, likewise, secured its purchase of millions of doses from these four companies and millions more from Pfizer, Astra Zeneca and the French company Sanofi.
Monopolized by the US and wealthy countries
The US is now hoarding vaccines against Covid-19. With the deals it made for the purchase of one billion and 700 million doses, it has Covid-19 vaccine supplies several times more than the usual need of two doses for its 326.7 million population. Canada too has secured much more than the amount needed for its 37.4 million population as it has made a deal for the purchase of 414 million doses of vaccines. The one billion and 585 million doses that the EU has secured is several times more than its 445 million population. Japan and Australia have also hoarded a big amount.2
This is the reason why leaders of countries that do not have large incomes or do not have large savings are worrying. That is why the WHO calls on governments to share their vaccines with others. That is why, the COVAX facility has been put up, to make sure that some vaccines and money are centralized to give access to countries that are not wealthy: to be able to sell to countries that somehow have the capacity to buy and to subsidize those that are poorer. But not everyone is ready to cooperate with this scheme.
Learn from Cuba
Some countries do not have large incomes but still do their best not to depend on Big Pharma. In this arena, Cuba, perhaps the poorest among the countries working on vaccines, shines.
Aside from its being small, (a little smaller than Luzon island) it is not rich in mineral resources also. And worse, it has been almost 60 years (since February 3, 1962) since the US imposed a total embargo that in effect, is an economic, trade and financial blockade against Cuba as the US has likewise barred other countries from trading and from entering into cooperative relations with it.
Despite these, the Cuban government and people are overcoming all difficulties. One way of overcoming is the quality of their health system that is nothing but awesome for many because it serves not only Cuba’s population but also those of other countries that seek Cuba’s help.
As regards the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cuban health system was able to maintain a low level of contagion compared to many countries in Latin America. It has a well-organized tracing system; it conducts a thorough examination of persons suspected of the illness and treats them. Because Covid-19 is still new, Cuban doctors give repurposed medicines and vaccines and food supplements made by Cuban scientists. Their engineers have manufactured ventilators and other instruments that they could not easily buy because of the blockade.
Some doctors, nurses and technicians have gone out of the country. They belong to the more than two thousand brigadistas of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade. They treated those infected with Covid-19 in 34 countries and 4 non-independent territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, West Asia (Middle East), and the Caucasus.
The news in August that Cuba was developing a vaccine, Soberana 1, and that it was starting clinical trials on humans surprised us. We learned that another would follow. At present, they now have four candidate vaccines, all in the clinical trial stage on humans. The Finlay Institute of Vaccines developed the first two while the Center for Genetic engineering and Biotechnology developed the second. The Cuban scientists target to have the first vaccine approved in the middle of February.
Like all the other medicines, vaccines, and medical services, Cuba gives this to all Cuban citizens free of charge. Big Pharma does not earn from this.
A society that considers health as a human right looks for ways of actualizing: Healthcare for all! (#)
Source/s:
1 Carl Zimmer, Jonathan Corum and Sui-Lee Wee Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. Updated December 2, 2020, New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.htm
2 Ibid.
Written by MM Laurinaria (Reposted from Kilusan)
Posted December 2020
PHILCUBA NEWSLETTER

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