Vancouver,Ottawa,Montreal and Kiev say,
Hey Trump, Lift the Blockade on Cuba!
By Janine Solanki
After 60 years the U.S. government is still trying – and failing – to achieve their goal of “regime change” in Cuba. The U.S. government is still causing great hardship to Cuba through their inhumane blockade, which the Trump administration is tightening. In the last few months, U.S. President Trump has made moves to invoke title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which threatens Cuba’s economy by punishing foreign entities who do business with Cuba.
The Cuban people have not just survived under the cruel U.S. blockade, but have advanced tremendously.
Cuba has become world renowned in fields such as healthcare, education, science and technology,
agriculture, sports and arts. After all these decades Cuba is not about to bend to U.S. pressure - in
response to the recent U.S. hostilities, the Cuban government and its people have been steadfast in their
rejection of any intervention in their internal affairs. In a statement, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Bruno Rodriguez said: “the United States will keep on failing to achieve its main purpose of submitting
by force the sovereign will of Cubans and our determination to build socialism.”
Supporters of Cuba worldwide are standing in defense of Cuba against the U.S. blockade. In Vancouver,
Canada, Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade – Vancouver (FCAB) has been protesting every
month in front of the U.S. Consulate. This action is in coordination with protests at U.S. Consulates and
Embassies in Ottawa and Montreal, Canada and Kiev, Ukraine! On March 17, the Vancouver action
gathered together protesters who held up picket signs and banners in the spring sunshine, and chanted
energetically “Hey, Trump, lift the blockade!” and “Return Guantanamo to Cuba now!” In between
rounds of picketing, protesters heard from various speakers, as well as heard a message of solidarity via
phone message from Ottawa-Cuba Connections, who were protesting outside of the U.S. Embassy. The
action wrapped up with a customary photo, complete with picket signs and protest banners, under the
building sign for the U.S. Consulate. This photo, shared on social media around the world, illustrates
Vancouver’s steadfast opposition to the U.S. blockade on Cuba.
As long as the U.S. blockade on Cuba is in existence, and as long as the U.S. illegally occupies the Cuban
territory of Guantanamo, Cuba solidarity activists in Vancouver and many around the world will join
in the protest. To find out about upcoming events with Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade –
Vancouver, visit www.vancubavsblockade.org or follow on Facebook or Twitter @nobloqueovan
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