[van-discuss] free the Cuban 5

[waldern at sfu.ca]

Here is another perspective on the sentencing of Cuban 
dissidents by the state of the socialist Republic of Cuba.
I have information from participating in a tour of Cuba
from April 28 to May 12, 2003. 

The Vancouver and District Labour Council and Central de
los Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) coordinated a special
labour/cultural solidarity tour for Solidarity Notes
choir. 40 choir members and some of their partners and
friends went on this tour. Most are members of union
locals in the Vancouver area.

After have planned this tour for about a year, it was
a coincidence that we arrived to Cuba after a series of
airline and ferry boat hijackings and bombings of tourist 
sites in Cuba carried out by Cuban citizens, and after a
couple of speeches by GW Bush calling for the reconversion
of Cuban society to capitalism in the name of fighting
terrorism, by any means including military intervention,
in March and April of this year. Our solidarity mission
was therefore celebrated widely as a show of international 
solidarity in support of Cuba and against US aggression 
and interference.

We attended May 1st events, an International Labour Solidarity
Conference on May 2, met performing arts groups, held our
own performances, attended meetings of CTC reps and government
workers, visited historic sites and enjoyed markets,
beaches, bands, museums, restaurants and bars. Among the people
in our choir (about 60 members) and this tour group, there are
many different politics and perspectives. But the tour agreed
that the social advances are remarkable and worth defending.
Therefore, we expressed our heartfelt solidarity at the formal
events and in the streets of the five cities of Cuba we visited.

AT the May 2 Solidarity Conference, delegation after delegation
from around the world expressed solidarity and pledged to defend
Cuban socialist society and the five citizens of Cuba imprisoned
in the US because of their pro-Cuban activism. The conference
created a petition calling for the release of the Cuban 5 from
US jail cells, which every individual attending signed. They also
gave their contact information to the Toronto-based Free the Cuban 
Five organization.

A statement by the 1.5 million union leaders and 3.5 affiliated
workers who comprise the CTC denounced the harsh sentences
imposed on the 5 Cuban citizens who are now held in a US prison.
They have not been able to consistently have legal representation
and make communications. They have been denied medical treatment
and visits from their families. The statement was released on 
April 18, 2003.

The press conference speech by Cuba's Foreign Minister, Felipe
Perez, made on April 9, 2003, points out the hypocrisy of the US
government. GW Bush enjoys the support of Batista supporters and
mobsters in Miami, says Perez. As a payback for this support, 
Bush is going all out to assist their counter-revolutionary
activities in Cuba. Perez gives full details. The Head of the
US Interests Section 
in Havana--set up to protect the US citizens who left Cuba--James
Cason, has been wining and dining pro-US elements in Miami and
Cuba, even though a diplomatic note from Cuba has asked him
to stop his provocative actions. Meanwhile, the US is pouring
millions of dollars into counter-revolutionary
activities through many NGO's. Examples: $22 to US Agency 
for International Development, and $27 million into anti-Cuban
broadcasts on Radio and TV "Marti". 

Such allocations have increased since the enactment of the Helms-
Burton law prohibiting commerce with Cuba. As a result of this law,
individuals with remote relations to individuals suspected of
doing business with Cuba, even those with Cuban citizenship, are
being rounded up and punished.

A "declaration from Cuban intellectuals and artists against fascism"
denounces these and other acts of US interference and aggression
around the world, especially its war against Iraq. It was signed
by 145 individuals in Havana on April 12, 2003.

While the US is carrying out a worldwide war on the pretext of
fighting terrorism, it is protecting the terrorists who have
been waging terror in Cuba. On December 20, 2001, the Republic of
Cuba passed a new law against acts of terrorism setting out
penalties for anyone using Cuban territory even to organize
or finance acts of terrorism against other countries, even the US.

On March 18, 32 participants of anti-Cuba meetings on December
24, March 12 and 14 were arrested. On March 19, another 33 were 
arrested. These individuals are called "mercenaries" because
they are recipients of US cash and gifts whom US authorities 
including the US Interests Section for carrying out US interests,
according to Foreign Minister Felipe Perez. But during the night
of March 19, a DC-3 aircraft was hijacked. An AN-24 was hijacked
on March 31, and the ferry was hijacked on April 2.

The trials were expedited and began on April 3. The accused
were allowed legal representation of their choice and free to
give their own evidence in front of a jury. The proceedings
were tape-recorded and transcribed. One of the accused
described his treatment in prison to the judge: he said he
and all the other prisoners were treated well, seeing a doctor
daily and receiving visits from their families.

On our tour during the past two weeks, we walked freely around
the cities and spoke with locals as we pleased. We saw no
evidence of a fascist society. We were however harassed by
black marketeers. We did observe the police and 
security guard presence increased in order to keep black
market traders in check and ward off terrorist attacks.
We did observe the shortages of everyday
convenience and luxuries as well as common necessities created
by the lenghty embargo and loss of trade with the Soviet block.
Though the people cannot afford to buy the simple pleasures
that visitors may with US dollars, the cost of living within
their domestic peso economy is very low and the government
provides free education, child care and health care. Housing
is affordable; there is no homelessness and most people own
a home. When they do rent housing they pay 10% of their
income. Small private enterprises pay 40% of their revenues
to the state. Farmers pay a similar portion. There is no
other form of taxations and these taxes are recent
inventions. Everyone gets guaranteed monthly rations of food
supplies by state farms; they buy whatever else they need
beyond that. Horse and buggies are still common form of
transportation and farmers don't have machinery.  But many
people buy cars or motorbikes.

We had some concerns about the growing inequality that the
dependence on tourism and the influx of US dollars are
creating. We also grumbled about bureacratic inconveniences
and hierarchies. However we saw great advantages over other
poor tropical societies and a free socialist society that
honours work and workers.

Barb Waldern
TSSU Chief Steward
TSSU delegate to the VDLC
Solidarity Notes choir member
MA student, anthropology, SFU