- by Vinnie Molina
- The Guardian
- Issue #2183
Speakout for Cuba: Hands off Cuba, Boorloo/Perth, 13 March 2026.
The Trump regime has undertaken to starve the people of Cuba. The decision to impose an oil blockade and threaten any country who dares to provide oil or other humanitarian assistance to Cuba is a war crime and an act of collective punishment.
The Cuban people have been living for over 60 years under an economic, financial and trade blockade. Most Cubans born after 1959 don’t know what it is like to live without the criminal blockade.
They have lived under the constant threat of a military invasion. They defended their homeland during the Bay of Pigs invasion and defeated the enemy in 72 hours.
The revolution led by Fidel Castro and his comrades, the young generation of Cuban revolutionaries defeated the Batista regime and its army 90 miles from the United States. This seems to be an unforgivable act of sovereignty by the Cuban people; one that the US imperialism refuses to accept.
Despite all the obstacles and the limitations, the Cuban revolution led by the Communist Party of Cuba and its leadership built a socialist system that has provided social development for its people. A universal health and education system that provides all of the Cuban people with the right to a healthy life, medical attention and the right to free education from early age up to university.
Under socialism Cuba has achieved the largest number per capita of doctors in the world despite the blockade which affects the health and education areas through limitations on what can be purchased such as medicines, equipment or basic educational materials in the international markets. A focus on developing science and biotechnology in Cuba has helped mitigate some of these limitations, along with a ‘people first’ approach that focuses on health and preventative medicine.
Challenges do not prevent the Cuban people living a happy life full of culture and richness that in many ways has become the envy of many countries in Latin America and other developing countries.
Solidarity with other peoples across the globe has also been the model of the Cuban revolution. Since the 60s when the revolution was in its early stages, Cuban doctors and teachers have travelled abroad on international missions. They have been present with their army of white coats looking after victims of natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, Ebola and most recently the COVID pandemic. The Cuban people also shed their blood for the defeat of apartheid and the freedom of other oppressed nations in Africa.
It is time to show our solidarity with Cuba.
The 21 March has been declared an international day in solidarity with Cuba. People all over the world will host events, collect donations and send humanitarian aid to Cuba. The ‘Our America’ flotilla led by young activist Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists will challenge the criminal blockade and deliver aid by air and sea.
This is all a tribute to the small island in the Caribbean that has shown that another world is possible. Cuba is an example of what it is possible to achieve when people are put before profits.
We pay tribute to the leaders like Fidel Castro who dedicated his life to the building of a different type of society.
The world will celebrate Fidel’s centenary on 13 August 2026 reflecting on his enormous contribution to the world of politics and ideas. It doesn’t matter how powerful US imperialism can be, it has a great weakness in itself, it cannot break people’s solidarity. Solidarity is unbreakable and holds people together.
In Australia all solidarity organisations will be part of the solidarity effort through the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society across the country and CPA members will make a contribution.
We will continue to demand that the Australian government stand with the Cuban people by condemning the act of war by the US on the people of Cuba. We say voting once a year in the UN General Assembly is not enough, we expect much more.
We all say Cuba is not Alone!
Let Cuba live!
Down with the criminal US blockade on Cuba!
