Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization
Pastors for Peace
418 West 145th St. New York, New York 10031
212.926.5757 (tel) * 212.926.5842 (fax) * www.ifconews.org * ifco@igc.org
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December 17, 2014 will forever be remembered
as a day of victory for the people of Cuba and the Cuba solidarity movement
From here on we will remember December 17, 2014 as the anniversary of the release of the three remaining members of the Cuban Five – Gerardo, Antonio and Ramon – from US prisons after spending more than 16 years behind bars, under harsh treatment, for defending their homeland and fellow citizens against terrorist acts committed by anti-Cuban groups operating in southern Florida. They, like their brothers Rene and Fernando, who were each unjustly imprisoned more than a decade, will forever serve as heroic examples of the strength and determination of the Cuban people.
These last days following the release of our Cuban brothers have been life-changing for our Cuban family and the tens of thousands of people across the United States, and around the world, who have fought for the freedom of the Cuban Five. This is a proud moment for Cuba. We at IFCO/Pastors for Peace can only imagine the joy and celebration taking place across island and send our love and solidarity to our five brothers, their families and all the Cuban people.
December 17, 2014 also marks the first time in more than 50 years that the US government has made a move toward normalizing relations with Cuba. We welcome this first step toward the reversal of a blockade policy that has caused decades of pain and suffering for the Cuban people.
Our years of effort – demonstrating, preaching, meeting with decision makers, and praying – are paying off and for this we are eternally grateful. Almost immediately following President Obama’s announcement of the release of our brothers and his call for a change in US-Cuba relations, we thought of our late founder – the Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr. – who fought so hard for the freedom of the Five, the normalizing of relations and the lifting of the blockade. We know that he sacrificed a great deal – from imprisonment, to the physical effects of hunger strikes, to precious time lost with his family – but we also know that everything he did for his beloved Cuba was done as a labor of love. We find comfort in knowing that he is smiling down on us all at this moment – overjoyed that positive movement is being made to ease the extreme hardship the blockade has caused for the Cuban people.
But we also know that Lucius, while celebrating this moment, would remind us that our work is not finished. The blockade has not been lifted and in fact some of its most egregious aspects remain in effect. The US government still imposes a travel ban. There are still tremendous restrictions on trade between the US and Cuba in place. Our work is not done. That is why, in the spirit of Lucius Walker, we are calling on our friends and supporters across the globe to join us now as we start to organize the largest Friendshipment Caravan possible in 2015. We must keep up the pressure to end the blockade, completely, once and for all. We must recognize that the reason President Obama has embraced this “new approach” toward Cuba is due to the relentless efforts of the Cuba solidarity movement. But my friends we can’t stop here. IFCO/Pastors for Peace is committed to continuing its work to support justice an self-determination for the Cuban people.
For more than twenty years IFCO/Pastors for Peace has proudly organized caravans of friendship to Cuba, without requesting or accepting a US Government license – illustrating an alternative people-people foreign policy. Through our collective efforts we have worked to bring broad-based public attention to the mean-spirited, illegal, unjust and immoral blockade against Cuba. Every time the US Treasury Department retreated in the face of our challenge, and our caravans were able to successfully cross the border to Mexico with unlicensed aid for Cuba, we know that our message was heard at the highest levels in Washington – and that even Washington understood that its blockade of Cuba was and is indefensible.
Now 22 years after that first US-Cuba Friendshipment; after the delivery of tons of aid including countless little yellow school buses and other vehicles, boxes of medicines, medical supplies, computers, school supplies and so much more….after crossing numerous state lines and country borders – from Canada to Mexico….after holding too many educational events about Cuba to count and distributing information aimed at breaking the information blockade on Cuba …after we have boldly declared that “Love is our License”…we have proven that solidarity has won the day.
While we are pleased that President Obama’s action lead to the release of the remaining members of the Cuban Five and welcome steps toward normalizing relations with Cuba, we know that there will be ‘blowback’ from the right-wing who need Cuba as an enemy.
We know that some members of Congress may want to undo what the President has accomplished. And that is why we know that we must work hard to maintain this momentum.
Prior to this event, we have been told that our elected officials received “50-50” comments, half wanting to ease relations, half wanting the blockade to remain in place. We know that reflects action by a small but vocal minority of “hard-liners”, who make noise out of proportion to their actual numbers – since most people, including the majority of Cuban-Americans, want normal relations between the US and Cuba.
There are even those who would want to pressure Cuba to violate the right of sanctuary that they have provided to Assata Shakur. We respect Cuba’s sovereign right to grant and maintain political asylum to all people it considers to have been persecuted.
For decades Cuba has served as a mighty example for the world – from supporting liberation movements across Africa to providing medical assistance across the globe. When the world has called, Cuba has answered.
That’s why now, more than ever, we must redouble our efforts to make our voices heard; to commit ourselves to defend Cuba and to support justice and self-determination for the Cuban people.
The struggle continues! We can and we will win!!
