Category Archives: SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA

Report Back from Cuba: Emerging in Solidarity

Join a conversation between participants in
IFCO/Pastors for Peace
Caravan to Cuba & the
Che Guevara Volunteer
Work Brigade

Co-Chairs:

Gail Walker – Executive Director, IFCO/Pastors for Peace.
Janine Solanki – National Coordinator of the Ernesto Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade

Participants:

Tanya Lozano, – Healthy Hood Project, Chicago
Shaquille Fontenot – Anti-imperialist cultural worker and co-founder of the Lowcountry Action Committee
Salifu Mack – Pan African socialist in South Carolina
Chris Hollis – Black Workers for Justice, North Carolina
Rev Dorlimar Lebron – Lead Pastor at the First Spanish United Methodist Church, NYC

Azza Rojbi, – Coordinator, Friends of Cuba Against the US Blockade, Vancouver, BC
Stuart Ross – First time brigadista from Guelph, Ontario
Carolyn Yao, – New York PSL and ANSWER Coalition organizer
Mathew Hebb – First time brigadista from Vancouver, BC

Special Guest Speaker:

Sandra Ramirez – Director for North America of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People (ICAP).

Sponsored by:
International US-Cuba Normalization Committee, IFCO Pastors for Peace, and Ernesto Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade, a project of the Canadian Network on Cuba.

Lamenta Cuba la muerte de destacada activista de la solidaridad Alicia Jrapko

Lamenta Cuba la muerte de destacada activista de la solidaridad (+ Video)
Su trabajo fundamental fue la lucha por la liberación de los Cinco Patriotas cubanos, injustamente encarcelados por monitorear la actividad de los terroristas en los Estados Unidos contra Cuba

Autor: Nuria Barbosa León | internet@granma.cu
12 de enero de 2022 12:01:23

Foto: José Manuel Correa
Al recibir la Medalla por la Amistad reafirmó su compromiso de defender a la Revolución Cubana hasta sus últimos días. El Primer Secretario del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba y Presidente de la República, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, lamentó la muerte de la incansable luchadora argentina Alicia Jrapko, quien consagró su vida a luchar por la justicia en nombre de sus compañeros desaparecidos. Por el regreso de Elián, la libertad de los Cinco y contra el bloqueo peleó con determinación.

«Hasta siempre hermana», escribió Díaz-Canel en Twitter. También, el canciller Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla expresó sus sentidas condolencias por el deceso de la activista solidaria de origen argentino y residente en Oakland, California, quien debió luchar contra un tumor maligno por más de dos años.


Granma conversó con ella durante el evento de solidaridad celebrado en La Habana del 1ro. al 3 de noviembre de 2019, donde manifestó su fiel activismo como coordinadora del Comité Internacional Paz, Justicia y Dignidad de los Pueblos en EE. UU.

Nos instó a «reflejar que hoy EE. UU. es una sociedad convulsionada y con un sistema en decadencia. El Gobierno elige a qué países atacar y a cuáles apoyar, en dependencia de su comportamiento frente a las leyes imperiales. Hoy el enemigo para ellos es Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Siria y otras naciones, que han elegido proteger su soberanía sin plegarse a los intereses imperialistas.


«Cuba no le ha hecho nada a EE. UU., jamás lo ha agredido, pero ese Gobierno debe justificar su actuar para desviar la atención y que las personas no puedan reflexionar acerca de lo caótico dentro del país. Hay muchos problemas internos en cuanto al desempleo, racismo, drogas, asesinatos y otros males. Es una sociedad que muestra una cara de odio, xenofobia, en lugar de los mensajes de amor y de paz», argumentó quien dirigió el Comité Internacional por la Libertad de los Cinco en el país norteño.

«Tengo esperanzas, porque en Estados Unidos nos unimos y peleamos para conquistar nuestros derechos. Todos los días luchamos y por algún lugar va a estallar esa sociedad», dijo Alicia Jrapko, merecedora de varias distinciones, entre ellas la Medalla Félix Elmuza que otorga la Unión de Periodistas de Cuba, el Escudo de la ciudad de Holguín y la Medalla de la Amistad concedida por el Consejo de Estado de la República de Cuba, a propuesta del Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos.

Su trabajo fundamental fue la lucha por la liberación de los Cinco Patriotas cubanos, injustamente encarcelados por monitorear la actividad de los terroristas en los Estados Unidos contra Cuba

Autor: Nuria Barbosa León | internet@granma.cu
12 de enero de 2022 12:01:23
Al recibir la Medalla por la Amistad reafirmó su compromiso de defender a la Revolución Cubana hasta sus últimos días. Foto: José Manuel Correa
El Primer Secretario del Comité Central del Partido Comunista de Cuba y Presidente de la República, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, lamentó la muerte de la incansable luchadora argentina Alicia Jrapko, quien consagró su vida a luchar por la justicia en nombre de sus compañeros desaparecidos. Por el regreso de Elián, la libertad de los Cinco y contra el bloqueo peleó con determinación.

«Hasta siempre hermana», escribió Díaz-Canel en Twitter. También, el canciller Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla expresó sus sentidas condolencias por el deceso de la activista solidaria de origen argentino y residente en Oakland, California, quien debió luchar contra un tumor maligno por más de dos años.


Granma conversó con ella durante el evento de solidaridad celebrado en La Habana del 1ro. al 3 de noviembre de 2019, donde manifestó su fiel activismo como coordinadora del Comité Internacional Paz, Justicia y Dignidad de los Pueblos en EE. UU.

Nos instó a «reflejar que hoy EE. UU. es una sociedad convulsionada y con un sistema en decadencia. El Gobierno elige a qué países atacar y a cuáles apoyar, en dependencia de su comportamiento frente a las leyes imperiales. Hoy el enemigo para ellos es Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Siria y otras naciones, que han elegido proteger su soberanía sin plegarse a los intereses imperialistas.


«Cuba no le ha hecho nada a EE. UU., jamás lo ha agredido, pero ese Gobierno debe justificar su actuar para desviar la atención y que las personas no puedan reflexionar acerca de lo caótico dentro del país. Hay muchos problemas internos en cuanto al desempleo, racismo, drogas, asesinatos y otros males. Es una sociedad que muestra una cara de odio, xenofobia, en lugar de los mensajes de amor y de paz», argumentó quien dirigió el Comité Internacional por la Libertad de los Cinco en el país norteño.

«Tengo esperanzas, porque en Estados Unidos nos unimos y peleamos para conquistar nuestros derechos. Todos los días luchamos y por algún lugar va a estallar esa sociedad», dijo Alicia Jrapko, merecedora de varias distinciones, entre ellas la Medalla Félix Elmuza que otorga la Unión de Periodistas de Cuba, el Escudo de la ciudad de Holguín y la Medalla de la Amistad concedida por el Consejo de Estado de la República de Cuba, a propuesta del Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos.

Telemundo and Univision Bias Coverage of Cuban Solidarity Rally November 15, 2021


Dear Cuban solidarity friends,

I am inspired to write to you to recount an experience I had today. After participating in a rally in solidarity with Cuba, Im feeling indignant over the reporting of one side only on Telemundo and Univision. At first, I was pleased to see them. It’s not the first time Spanish news channels as well as all other major media channels have been invited to rallies on the topic of normalizing relations with Cuba but have never showed-up. Today, we at least got Channel 41 and 47! Perhaps today, our message would be heard.

photograph by Guillermo Barrientos


The outpour of support from Cuban solidarity organizations was impressive. We were well equipped with signs that expressed support of the removal of U.S. sanctions and interventions in Cuba. We advocate for the lifting of the U.S. imposed blockade, and want to see an end to the economic war on Cuba. We want to see normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba and restore and improve family relations between Cubans living on the island and Cubans who reside in the U.S.A. We feel our message has the best intentions for Americans and for the people of Cuba.

Aside: When I saw a reporter and a cameraman from Telemundo I crossed the street to where they were. I said, “ Im glad you’re here and hope your report of what’s happening here today will be reported fairly.” The reporter did not respond. The cameraman snapped and said, “Just let us do our job!” I then said, “ I’ll just stay here to hear what she’s going to say”. The cameraman then said to the reporter, “Let’s go over there (pointing to and area down the avenue). I then rejoined my group.

Our attendance was by far triple the amount as it compared to the group that supports the 62 year criminal and inhumane blockade on Cuba. The group that held their middle fingers at us and called us whores and prostitutes, and chanted, “Trump, Trump, Trump…,” called us dirty communists, and spat at us… they were the group that got the media spotlight. Telemundo and Univision only interviewed people from the smaller group that was angry and hateful and yelled vulgar obscenities at us. This group, is also the side that has President Biden’s ear. Politicians in Miami who also have access to President Biden have been very effective at relating the message to keep the pressure on Cuba.

Doesn’t every country have the right to their sovereignty? This country had a revolution and became independent from England. Cuba had a revolution and became independent from the United States. Why can’t Cuba carry out their constitution as we do? Furthermore, we were once at war with Vietnam. Thousands of American lives were lost in Vietnam (58,220), nonetheless; we are now friends! Also, practically everything we sell in the United States of America is made in China. Why can’t this country also have fair exchanges with Cuba?

Ironically, today I experienced in the United States of America a great injustice committed by american media that is supposed to report fairly and without bias. At the very least, why weren’t folks from the Cuban solidarity groups interviewed? Why didn’t the cameras capture us and mention that we were also there? Why didn’t any reporter from Univision or Telemundo make any mention of our message of peace and relations with Cuba? At the very least, why didn’t the cameraman from Telemundo and Univision swing the camera over our way and allow people to wonder why our numbers were so much greater? Why not give their television audience an opportunity to at least wonder why were there and what was our message?

I ask that you all please consider writing to President Biden to request that he keeps his promise to lift all sanctions and normalize relations with Cuba. You can email President Biden at www.whitehouse.gov Once you are at the home page, click on email us! It’s a very easy way to leave President Biden a message.

Thank you.
Nancy Cabrero

Dear Mr. Nogales,

I am writing with hope that you will be able to help remedy the way Telemundo and Univision repeatedly ignore our presence and suppress our opinions at rallies related to U.S. policies on Cuba. This was again the case at a rally that occurred on Monday, November 15, 2021, in NYC on 38th St. and Lexington Ave. We are fed up with Telemundo and Univision’s careless reporting and their lack of effort to seek and report accurately and fairly.

This was a rally in solidarity with Cuba that also attracted a group of mostly Cubans and Cuban Americans who support their own homeland being obliderated by the United States military if it resulted in ending a 63 year old people’s revolution. They do not want the U.S. to seek to normalize relations with Cuba and their aim is for any U.S. President in office to make life as miserable as possible for Cubans on the island by way of economic sanctions and the criminal and inhumane U.S. imposed embargo on Cuba.

While it is their right to express their point of view, we too have the right to be heard. We then trust that the journalists reporting to the Spanish speaking audience they serve will present the news with the full measure of trust we hold in them. We also expect them to be responsible, fair and accurate in their report of what is happening. The public deserves a presentation of the news that will allow them to form their own opinions as opposed to the biased and uneven presentation of news that Telemundo and Univision is promulgating.

Given the countless missed opportunities offered to Telemundo and Univision to follow a code of ethical and principled journalism as it relates to presenting the news without omission of facts when it is about Cuba, I am requesting a meeting to be scheduled immediately with the executives of Telemundo and Univision. This is a serious problem that many people who I represent would like to see rectified. Telemundo and Univision must be held accountable and given the opportunity to restore our trust in the news they deliver.

I thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Nancy Cabrero