by Medea Benjamin / June 1st, 2021
Waiting in line for food in Cuba. Photo credit: UPI.com
Silvia from Miami, Eduardo from Hialeah, Abel from Lakeland. The names pour in on the donations page for “Syringes to Cuba” as Carlos Lazo promotes the campaign on his popular Facebook livestream. An energetic Cuban-American high school teacher in Seattle, Lazo created a group called Puentes de Amor, Bridges of Love, to unite Cuban Americans who want to lift the searing U.S. blockade that is immiserating their loved ones on the island.
Puentes de Amor is the latest addition to the Syringes to Cuba initiative, which was started by the Saving Lives Campaign and the humanitarian organization Global Health Partners to help Cuba vaccinate its people against COVID-19. With the help of two other groups, The People’s Forum and CODEPINK, the campaign has raised over $350,000 and has already placed an order for four million syringes. Two million will arrive in June and the balance in July.
Havana, May 28 (Prensa Latina) President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday rejected slanders by the United States about Cuba s alleged lack of cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Havana, May 28 (Prensa Latina) Representatives of Cuba and Canada on Friday held a preparatory meeting for the new round of Political Consultations between the two countries, Cuba s Foreign Ministry reported.
By Róger Calero May 24, 2021
Militant/Dan Fein1,500 people march in Chicago May 8 backing Colombia protests against government attacks. Sign says, “Fight so you don’t have to emigrate for a better future for you and your children.”
In the face of mass demonstrations and nationwide strikes that broke out April 28, Colombian President Iván Duque withdrew a “reform” bill May 2 raising sales taxes that would hit working people the hardest. But the protests continued. Brutal police attacks on peaceful demonstrations are adding fuel to the fire.
Called by the National Strike Committee, which includes Colombia’s main union federations, farmer associations, organizations of indigenous peoples, student groups, independent truckers and others, the protests have become an outpouring of pent-up popular outrage over government and employer moves to make working people pay for the deep capitalist crisis.