On September 19, Parliament of Canada resumed its fall sessions, and the Canadian Network on Cuba has launched a political campaign to call on members of parliament to stand up against the United States and its attacks on Cuba by developing our own foreign policy of peace and cooperation with the island.
The campaign demands that our representatives:
- Vocally oppose the illegal U.S. blockade of Cuba
- Demand the removal of Cuba from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism List
- Call for an end to the U.S. occupation of Guantanamo Bay
- Defend Cuba’s renowned medical missions from U.S. sanctions
- Uphold Canada’s Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act
- Work to expand trade and cultural exchange between Canada and Cuba without coercive political conditions
The Canadian Network on Cuba is asking all those who support the Cuban people to help flood the inboxes of the parliamentarians in their ridings as well as the premier of their province.
“The people of Cuba have endured 65 years of unilateral blockading by the United States government—a comprehensive campaign of economic and political sanctions intended to discredit the Cuban government by inflicting suffering on ordinary people,” the Network writes.
“For decades, this blockade has been denounced at the United Nations in annual resolutions supported by the entire world, including Canada, absent the U.S. and Israel. As we imagine what real Canadian independence from the U.S. could look like, we should move to expand our longstanding relationships with peaceful countries like Cuba, whose number one exports are healthcare and solidarity with the peoples of the world.”
The campaign aims to take advantage of recent popular sentiments around the issue of national sovereignty as U.S. president Donald Trump boasts about making Canada the 51st state. People can click the campaign poster or scan the QR code to pull up an automated email service. The email is pre-drafted, but is fully editable. Folks are encouraged to edit the email and include their own connections to Cuba to showcase the vast network of support for Cuba in Canada, from beach vacationers to militant activists.
As Young Communists, and as members of the Canadian Network on Cuba, we must defend Cuba’s right to self-determination and adamantly oppose all attacks against Cuba that brutalize the Cuban people in futile attempts to destabilize the island and illicit regime change. Let us be clear, the Cuban people will never willingly concede the victories of the revolution. While the blockade cripples the economy and conditions worsen on the island, revolutionary optimism and our solidarity become ever more important.
It is not just solidarity in our hearts and minds that matters, but in action. For the YCL-LJC, the campaign relates to our efforts to connect the student movement to Cuba solidarity. In recent years, we have hosted successful events between members of the Cuban Student Union (FEU) and the Canadian Federation of Students on topics such as the meaning of free education for Cuba and for Canada. We have worked with Cuban youth in Canada, connecting them to the solidarity work occurring across our different cities. We can work to strengthen research and academic ties in maintaining strong relationships with the Cuban people in shared research and study.
We must utilize this campaign to connect with the people in our communities about what’s going on in Cuba. While the Network has no false hopes of changing Canadian foreign policy tomorrow, this campaign provides a tool to connect with people about the atrocities happening against Cuba and remind our representatives that they are being watched, and we will not be silent.
Digital and print materials can be found here for distribution, including social media graphics of the demands and posters available to print that should be plastered throughout our campuses, workplaces, and communities. Please contact the Canadian Network on Cuba if you need support printing or distributing materials!