Cuba: International Solidarity Conference Follows up Massive March of the People

In a strong display of defiance and solidarity, over 5 million people marched in the cities of revolutionary Cuba on May 1. Through these impressive marches, the Cuban people stood united and strong against US designs to crush Cuba for its refusal to succumb to imperialism or go back to the neo-colonial status it held prior to 1959. Just as the over 60 year old blockade of Cuba seems to reach its most draconian, more still is piled on, yet now more than ever, the US finds itself isolated as the Cuban people stand strong and solidarity with them grows.

International meeting of solidarity with Cuba, anti-imperialism and against the resurgence of fascism
The day following the march, the theme of solidarity was carried forward to the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, which took place at the Palace of the Conventions. 969 delegates were present, representing 269 organizations from 39 countries.

The dialogue was led by the first secretary of the central committee of the communist party and president of the republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; member of the political bureau and secretary of organization of the central committee of the party, Roberto Morales Ojeda; the minister of foreign affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; the secretary general of the CTC, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento; and the president of ICAP, Fernando González Llort.

The meeting was dedicated to the legacy of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, on the 25th anniversary of the concept of revolution, the 65th anniversary of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), and the 22nd Congress of the Cuban Workers’ Central (CTC).

President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez emphasized in his talk that solidarity is not just a word but an essential component against the increased aggression of the Trump administration.

“Thank you for being the voice of Cuba in the world. This meeting shows that, before the empire, the answer is more solidarity, a solidarity that symbolizes resistance to neocolonialism and support for the self-determination of peoples; a solidarity that becomes a weapon of struggle, that transcends borders and that we assume, as Fidel said, to be an ethical duty in the fight against neocolonialism.”

The inhumane policy of the United States against Cuba
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, director general for the United States at the ministry of foreign affairs, spoke about the damage caused to Cuba by US policy.

“Our country is going through times of great adversity, reflected in the material and economic conditions of our people. This is a scenario planned by the US government to try to make life as difficult as possible for Cubans,” he said.

He recalled the words of the popular leader of the US, Malcolm X, warning that nothing teaches more than adversity.

“The people of Cuba are not discouraged by the current circumstances. They take on challenges and develop their creativity, the fruit of the teachings of the revolution,” he said.

The sentiment in the US, according to the diplomat, is that the largest of the Antilles belongs to them and that they have the right to dictate the course of the nation, which explains the incessant dispute since Cuba achieved true independence and began to exercise its right to self-determination.

This prohibits the importation of products originating in the United States and the use of the most important international payment systems. Most Americans are denied the right to travel to Cuba, and threats are made against investors who bet on the national market.

Regarding Cuba’s inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, Fernández de Cossío said that it has had serious repercussions for tourism on the island and is exacerbating its economic situation.

Solidarity: the bridge that unites the oppressed of all latitudes
The hero of the republic and ICAP president, Fernando González Llort, referred to the need to promote cooperation and the right of peoples to self-determination in his speech.

“The response to neo-liberal capitalism must be unity and internationalism. We have a duty to forge alliances against the common enemy: the great elites who control the world,” he said.

“If capital and imperial ambitions are transnational in nature, solidarity among peoples must also transcend borders,” he said.

According to González Llort, the rise of figures such as Donald Trump is a reflection of a world in crisis and of a 21st-century fascism, which seeks technological advances to control and alienate the working class.

ForGonzález Llort, the promotion of dignified peace in defense of sovereignty is key in the battle against imperialism. However, it must be a peace that respects the full dignity of people and is grounded on social justice.

“That is why Cuba stands with Palestine against the Zionist regime that, for more than 75 years, has murdered, kidnapped, abused, and besieged the Palestinian people. We stand with Puerto Rico in its struggle for independence, we support the cause of the Sahrawi people, we support the legitimate rights of indigenous communities, and we endorse the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.”

González Llort conveyed the opposition of the largest of the Antilles to NATO interference, as well as its desire for a world free of nuclear weapons.

“While the military-industrial complex of the great powers manufactures wars for its own benefit, Cuban medical collaboration, which has helped more than five million people around the world, is denigrated,” he said.

He criticized the way in which hegemony is established through cultural colonization, which makes what is foreign seem desirable and what is one’s own seem inferior. In this scenario, resistance means creating art, schools, and popular communication.

“Unity and solidarity play a decisive role. The latter, not as charity, but as a revolutionary and humanist bulwark. It is the bridge that unites the oppressed of all latitudes,” he said.

González Llort condemned those who do not defend their sovereignty are as appendages of the empire.

Medals of Friendship
Near the end of the event, the Cuban president awarded medals of friendship to 2 long-time Cuban solidarity activists: Cheryl Labash, co-chair of the National Network of Solidarity with Cuba in the United States, and André Chassaigne, former deputy and president of the France-Cuba Friendship Group of the French National Assembly.

As per usual, the event went out with a performance of love and solidarity from the Cuban National Children’s Theater; La Colmenita.