Unanimous was the demand to remove the blockade that successive US administrations have imposed on Cuba for more than 60 years, as well as the demand to eliminate all financial and travel restrictions.
The speakers agreed that Cuba’s inclusion in Washington’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list is a major injustice and deprives Cuba of equal access to financial markets.
US Congressman James McGovern from Massachusetts urged his compatriots to design initiatives to fight the blockade against Cuba.
The member of the House of Representatives considered the unilateral blockade siege as the cause of all the difficulties suffered by the Cuban people.
He urged his listeners to put pressure on the Joe Biden administration to reverse its position regarding Cuba and cited as a positive example the reintroduction of a bipartisan bill by five senators to eliminate Washington’s unilateral blockade.
‘This conference is important. The actions we take can make a difference, and inspire more people to work for it,’ he noted.
In addition to McGovern’s, many other voices exposed how the United States seeks to make Cuba’s principles to surrender with severe prohibitions, whose objectives are to bring hardships to its population.
Among speakers was Cuban-American activist and leader of the Bridges of Love solidarity movement, Carlos Lazo, who showed his group’s tireless fight to have the US blockade lifted and to promote solidarity actions.
Academic William LeoGrande’s speech also deserved an ovation. He noted that the next step for the White House should be to remove Cuba from Washington’s unilateral list of states that sponsor terrorism.
Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink, did the same when she pointed out that far from being an aggressor country, Cuba has been the victim of multiple attacks by the United States.
The meeting also became a great opportunity to disseminate Cuba’s reality and its efforts to get ahead in an extremely adverse scenario.
The participation of some members of Cuban civil society, represented by the Cuban Women’s Federation (FMC) and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), was an opportunity to expose Cuba’s efforts to improve society and make it fairer and more inclusive.
The event did not miss a single opportunity to disseminate the richness of Cuban culture and its customs, which is why there was also an art exhibition and a festival of short films from Cuba.
Cuba yes, blockade no was the claim that was projected on the screen, from which some speakers spoke, but it was also the premise that participants took home with them.
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