[van-announce] For Immediate Release: Rally in Defense of Cuba! Saturday June 26th

[Kira Koshelanyk]

For Immediate Release
Date: June 24th, 2004
Released by: Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
Contact: Jose Ostorga 604 432 7400  Shannon Bundock 778 891 1470
 
Rally In Defense of Cuba! U.S. HANDS OFF CUBA!
AGAINST THE NEW U.S. AGGRESSION! LIFT THE BLOCKADE!
 
Saturday June 26th
12noon
Vancouver Art Gallery
(Georgia St and Howe)

At 12 noon Saturday June 26th, the newly formed coalition, Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), is holding a demonstration to protest the new aggressive measures taken by the U.S. government towards Cuba. US President George Bush's May 6th announcement of these measures marks the opening of a new era of escalating criminal attacks by the U.S. government against Cuba. Following the lead of millions of Cubans demonstrating in the streets, Vancouver is joining people worldwide in organizing solidarity actions.  

Washington has announced a list of articles that Cubans in the United States will no longer be able to send to their relatives, including shoes, clothing and toiletries. One of the most severe measures is removing annual family trips, which now may only be taken every three years, and for only two weeks. These new measures target the Cuban people and their country directly and attempt to increase their isolation from the rest of the world.
 
"The new aggressive legislation includes spending $59 million dollars over the next two years to promote anti Cuba actions with the intent of destroying the Cuban revolution." Says Jorge Franco, a member of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba. "This kind of aggression, strengthening the Helms-Burton act and the U.S. imposed economic blockade of Cuba, is a direct attack on this sovereign nation and an attack on the right of Cuban people to determine their government and how they will run their own country."  

"The past few years have been characterized by wealthy aggressor nations invading and occupying third world countries like Afghanistan and Iraq to plunder their resources." Says Shannon Bundock of VCSC. "With the recent invasion of Haiti, the US is opening up this era of imperialist war and occupation in Latin America and these new measures in addition to the blockade is just one more step with Cuba and Venezuela next on the list."
 
In response to this new US aggression against Cuba, there has been a huge international outpouring of solidarity and renewed energy in solidarity work with Cuba. In Vancouver, VCSC will continue to organize in defense of Cuba with a celebration and forum to mark the anniversary of the July 26th movement that began the revolutionary struggle in Cuba and a conference on Cuba and Venezuela in August.
 
Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba is endorsed by:
Vancouver & District Labour Council, Tim Louis - Vancouver City Councillor, Lisa Barrett - Mayor, Bowen Island, Hospital Employees Union, Amigos de Cuba, Free the Cuban Five Committee Vancouver, FMLN-Vancouver, Latin American Connexions, Building Bridges Human Rights Project, Simon Fraser Student Society, Cuba Education Collective, America Latina al Dia, Circulo Bolivariano Internacionalista-Vancouver, Group of Family and Friends of Political Prisoners in Mexico, Langara Students Union, Mobilization Against War and Occupation, SFU First Nations Student Association, Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice, Youth-3rd World Alliance, Iranian Committee Against War and Occupation, Langara Womens Center, El Ecumenical Task Force for Justice in the Americas, Tudeh Party of Iran-Vancouver, Communist Party of Canada-Marxist Leninist, Wake up with Co-op, Student-Youth Committee Against War, Purple Thistle Youth Centre, Korean Student Network Against War, Redwire Native Youth Media, Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Advocates

Contact:  Jose Ostorga 604 432 7400
              Shannon Bundock 778 891 1470
              Cubacommunities at yahoo.ca 

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