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Unblock Cuba, Delist It from States Supporting Terrorism
After more than 60 years of imposing embargoes and sanctions that amount to a comprehensive economic blockade against Cuba, the US has won nothing but the condemnation of the entire world for its unjust policy and actions against Cuba and for the unimaginable hardship it has caused the Cuban people. The Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) joins the governments, parties, and people’s organizations around the world in supporting Cuba’s demand to remove all these irrational and arbitrary US sanctions against Cuba and allow this Caribbean country to thrive, progress, and freely foster collaboration with other peoples and states in the Americas and around the world. Indisputably, the US failed in its aim to use the blockade to spur a people’s uprising against Cuba’s revolutionary government that upholds socialism. The suffering of the people is undeniable. But the population is aware that this suffering is largely because the embargo declared by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961 intensified throughout the different administrations especially with the enactment of the Torricelli Act in 1992 during the term of President George H.W. Bush and most especially, during President Donald Trump’s presidency, when he decreed 243 measures and reinstated Cuba in the list of States Sponsoring Terrorism (SST), measures that remain in force until now under President Joe Biden’s term. Maintaining the economic blockade against Cuba is pointless. It was ineffective for the proclaimed objective and the usual justifications for the use of sanctions—to force cooperation with international law; to contain a threat to peace; and, to condemn acts of a member or non-member nation—do not apply. Cuba has been elected to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations for the sixth time, a testament to the trust and respect given to it by other UN member nations. Certainly, the US government cannot cite national security, much less their people’s interest. It is not to the American people’s interest that Cuba was able to obtain only 68% of its need for flour for 2022-2023, as it could not afford the entirety at its present price. It does not help US’s national security that Cuba was able to obtain only 21% of the country’s minimal need for powdered milk for the same period because it could not afford its raised price, unless national security means killing Cuban children. Neither does Cuba endanger the security of peoples and even of governments in different countries if it is allowed to have medical collaboration with other countries. In the past six decades, 605,698 health professionals served in 165 different countries in five continents. The people they haves served are appreciative. The US allotted millions of dollars for a campaign against this. No one’s national security would be endangered if athletes who played abroad and won were allowed to receive their prizes. Hence, the blockade should be dismantled. Let Cuba live. Let Cuba advance and be of greater help to other countries in need. PhilCuba, once again calls on the Philippine government to vote on the side of sister Cuba. #UnblockCuba #LetCubaLive #LetCubaBreathe #RemoveCubaFromSSTlist Cuba Denounces Terrorist Act against the Cuban Embassy in Washington
It is the height of irony that the US refuses to remove Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism while right in Washington, the Cuban embassy was attacked on two separate occassions with gunfire and Molotov cocktails - acts of blatant terrorism. The Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) resolutely denounces this despicable act against Cuba. We call on the US government to act swiftly on this and utilize all means to guarantee the safety of Cuba’s representation in the US. On the evening of September 24, the last day of President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez’s visit to the US two Molotov bombs were lobbed by at the Cuban embassy. While no one among the embassy personnel was hurt, this is still alarming as this is the second time the Cuban diplomatic headquarters was attacked. The first, which caused material damage to the embassy, was in April 2020. For more than 60 years the US and its allies have subjected Cuba to different trading, financial, travel sanctions, including 243 measures taken by the Trump government to strangulate the Cuban economy in vicious attempts to crush their socialist construct. Likewise, the US has continually committed violent acts against the Cuban state and people, including a failed invasion, at least 634 attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, the downing of an airline carrying some of Cuba’s best athletes, and 581 acts of state terrorism against Cuba’s diplomatic representatives since the triumph of the revolution in 1959. We join peoples around the world in solidarity with Cuba in demanding: Stop Acts of terrorism against Cuba! Let Cuba live! Remove Cuba from list of countries harboring or sponsoring terrorism! nd the illegal, criminal, genocidal blockade against the Cuban people! Unending Reverence to the Heroes of Moncada;
Unflinching Support for Cuba’s Resolve to Resist the Blockade The assault of 120 young Cubans against the island’s second biggest military fortress marking the start of the people’s rebellion against the Batista dictatorship happened 70 years ago on July 26. The heroism, however, of those inexperienced youth who were faced with utmost brutality of the state continues to reverberate among the people of Cuba, other parts of Hispano America and the whole world after decades of US’s cruel economic, commercial, and financial blockade aimed at pushing Cuba to its knees. The Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) and Philippine sympathizers of the Cuban people in struggle steadfastly salute the heroes of Moncada and unflinchingly support the call to end the economic sanctions against the island-state and remove Cuba from US’s list of states harboring terrorism. A hundred and twenty young idealist Cubans, led by Fidel Castro, stormed the military barracks in Santiago in the province of Oriente to steer the soldiers and the people to rebel against the dictator Fulgencio Batista and establish a democratic and just social system. The events of this day that included the attempt to take the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes army garrison in Bayamo by a smaller number of persons and prevent a counter attack, resulted in the deaths of some of Fidel's comrades and the incarceration and trial of some, most notably of Fidel himself. The enigmatic young lawyer defended the Moncada rebellion in a speech that came to be called “History will absolve me.” This speech was printed and distributed widely, though clandestinely, in the entire country. The pressure for Batista to release Fidel and his comrades from prison mounted. After their release, Fidel and his comrades in the now named July 26 Movement, planned their moves better, established themselves in the Sierra Maestra Mountains from where they fought and rallied the Cuban people against the Batista dictatorship. On the 1st of January 1959, the revolution that the Moncada Attack commenced, triumphed. Today, as the Cuban people fight US sanctions that have gotten crueler even during the Covid 19 pandemic, the lesson of Moncada that they should dare resist an unjust rule or dictate is one source of strength. Despite its economic difficulties, Cuba has shown the world how the people benefit from a system which considers the welfare of the people its primary concern. It guarantees free education from preschool to tertiary, to the entire population. It continuously trains medical and health professionals and improves its health system that caters to the entire population all throughout their lives. It has a very low infant mortality rate, even lower than those in some rich countries. Cuba has been collaborating with many countries especially in combating epidemics and in facing disasters. In the last six decades, more than 605,698 health professionals have served in 165 countries on five continents. Since Cuba’s Henry Reeve Medical Contingent was organized in 2005, 88 brigades have been sent to 56 countries with 13,467 collaborators, three brigades faced Ebola in West Africa with 265 collaborators and 58 brigades faced COVID-19 in 42 countries. It has trained thousands of medical doctors worldwide. It has advanced in biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. Cuba has much to contribute for peoples’ development around the world but instead of supporting Cuba’s efforts, the US is tightening the sanctions, making it almost impossible for Cuba to procure primary materials for its pharmaceuticals, to sell its products, especially the medicines and inventions in biotechnology, and even to allow people to freely travel to Cuba to conduct business. President Trump’s decision towards the end of his term to include Cuba again in the list of countries supporting terrorism further strangulates Cuba. Very recently, the Biden Administration announced Its campaign against medical collaboration with Cuba and it allocated a million dollars for this. PhilCuba calls on the Marcos government to resist pressures of the US to take its side on Cuba, instead, see how the Philippines and Cuba could learn from, and help, each other. We call on governments and peoples to make a stand against unilateral sanctions. Stop the economic and political strangulation of Cuba! Let Cuba thrive in the community of peoples, nations, and states! We extend our solidarity to the Cuban people in this time of tragic loss and sadness after the huge fire that hit the Matanzas oil storage facility weeks ago. We also condole with the grief- stricken families of the 14 firefighters who perished in the line of duty.
On August 19, Cuba gave funeral honors and paid their last tribute to their fallen sons in front of thousands at the Firefighters Museum in said city’s main square. We join this attestation to the heroes’ bravery and ultimate sacrifice in protecting their community. We believe that the Cuban people will continue to remember them gratefully. We honor them and wish for Cuba’s quick recovery. We express appreciation for the governments of Mexico and Venezuela that sent a combined 127-strong contingent of specialists who worked to contain the fire alongside the Cuban authorities and emergency corps; along with 45,000 liters of retardant foam, breathable air tanks, medical equipment and supplies. We also appreciate the government of Iran for dispatching its own experts; to Venezuela for pledging to help Cuba rebuild the lost depot; to Russia, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, the European Union and the United Nations for sending solidarity assistance. The US government has also pledged to provide technical assistance, which Cuba welcomed. However, we call out the US for its lukewarm response to the incident in Matanzas. We highlight the fact that the most critical issue that demands resolution is to end the total blockade that they imposed on the Cuban people for 60 years now. This illegal, immoral, criminal blockade has made the lives of four generations of Cubans extremely difficult, has barred Cubans from accessing important medicines and medical instruments and had slowed Cuba’s development since 1962. It has been condemned by UN member-states nearly 30 times since the very first time Cuba filed its resolution demanding its lifting. We call on the people of the United States and on other peoples and their governments in the international community to support Cuba by not allowing this blockade to continue further and to render it ineffectual through concerted counter-actions. We honor every Cuban standing up against the continued interventionist, regime-change designs of the United States and their known allies. Let “Patria o Muerte, Venceremos!” continue to reverberate and to remain the battle cry and spirit in defense of the Cuban Revolution! (#) No to US-Instigated Protests
Enough of Foreign Interference in Cuba's Internal Affairs Cuba’s socialist government has the right and duty to defend the gains of the revolution and protect Cuban property, people and institutions against a renewed threat directed from its imperialist neighbor to create a scenario of “massive discontent” in order to create chaos and overthrow the Cuban revolutionary government. The Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association (PhilCuba) stands by the Cuban people in their determined opposition to US’s interventionist policy, which violates the Cuban people’s sovereignty and right to determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. US leaders, both in the executive and legislative branches, did not deny that their government directed and financed the marches cum riots on July 11 this year. They displayed their arrogance further by threatening to inflict greater harm on the country if their operators in Cuba who got arrested are not released. Since months ago, these operators who are pretending to be cultural and human rights activists have been drumming up another mobilization come November 15. It is reprehensible that instead of attending to its own problems—the result of decades-long neo-liberal policies, ever-mounting support for the military industrial complex, and cutting appropriations for social protection exacerbated by the pandemic—the US is giving more attention to “regime change” interventions in countries it considers as enemies. It is deplorable that instead of initiating and bankrolling projects to help strengthen peoples’ capacities to respond to calamities and epidemics, the US is focusing on strangulating the Cuban, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan people through endless economic sanctions. It is hypocritical for the US that claims to banner democracy and world peace yet continues to strengthen its armed forces for hegemonic wars and intervention around the world. We are confident that the people of Cuba who have long endured various evil acts of the US—from economic, commercial and financial blockade to actual violent actions like the Bay of Pigs invasion, large-scale burning of sugarcane fields, destruction of industrial machinery, hatching plane crashes, the arrest and imprisonment of Cuban patriots—will prevent traitors like Yunior Garcia Aguillera and Manuel Cuesta Morúa from deceiving more people. More power to the Cuban Revolution! Enough with imperialist intervention! |
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