Havana, Cuba – On May 1, hundreds of thousands of Cuban workers marched through Revolution Square to mark International Workers’ Day. Marchers at the front carried the banner bearing the words of the Cuban Workers Federation (CTC) declaration at their most recent Congress: “United in the construction of socialism.”

Minneapolis, MN – Sharon Rice Vaughan, a longtime and respected member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the Twin Cities peace and justice movements, died in a car crash in Havana, Cuba on March 24. Her sudden and untimely death leaves a big hole in our community.

We celebrate the release of the Cuban Five – political prisoners held by the U.S. government for 16 years. Their freedom also marks a positive change in relations between the U.S. government and Cuba. Many anti-war and international solidarity activists who worked towards their release are raising their glasses to toast this victory!

San José, CA – The Ebola epidemic has already killed as many as 5000 people in the west African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. It is now spreading to other countries such as Nigeria and Senegal in Africa, the U.S and Spain. One of the hardest hit sectors has been health workers, who make up as much as 10% of the victims. There has been a small but growing number of countries sending health workers to help the effort to contain the epidemic. Socialist Cuba stands out in leading this aid effort.

Havana, Cuba – Cuba ended 2013 with an infant mortality rate of 4.2 per 1000 live births, the lowest level in the socialist island's history. Cuba’s infant mortality rate was significantly better than neighboring Caribbean and Latin American countries and even better than the U.S. infant mortality rate, which was estimated at 5.2 for 2013.

According to a July 17 report from the Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Ministry stated, “There occurred an abnormal case in which the DPRK trading ship Chongchongang was apprehended by the Panamanian investigation authorities on suspicion of “drug transport,” a fiction, before passing through the Panama canal after leaving Havana Port recently. The Panamanian investigation authorities rashly attacked and detained the captain and crewmen of the ship on the plea of “drug investigation” and searched its cargo but did not discover any drug. Yet, they are justifying their violent action, taking issue with other kind of cargo aboard the ship.”

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution on Syria that was signed by many of the parties present at the 22nd International Communist Seminar. Freedom Road Socialist Organization was among the signers. Resolution on Syria

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following resolution on Cuba that was signed by many of the parties present at the 22nd International Communist Seminar. Freedom Road Socialist Organization was among the signers. Resolution on Solidarity with Cuba

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from People's Organization For Progress (POP) chair Lawrence Hamm, from a May 10 Newark, New Jersey press conference.

_Sign-on statement: Stop freezing US/Cuba Labor Exchange funds _

The U.S. government is escalating its attacks on socialist Cuba and U.S. residents who try to travel there. These attacks have now been directed at U.S. labor union activists. Five U.S. union activists who tried to register to participate in the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange in Havana, Cuba over May Day had their funds frozen and seized without explanation by the Labor Exchange’s bank, Charter One Bank in Detroit, Michigan.

Fight Back! correspondents took these photos at the massive International Workers Day march in Havana, Cuba on May 1, 2013. The march had 3 themes: 'for a prosperous and sustainable socialism', honoring Venezuelan revolutionary leader Hugo Chavez, and preparing for the upcoming 20th Congress of the Cuban Workers Federation.

Exiled Black Panther Party veteran has lived in Cuba for three decades

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article by Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire.

Hundreds of thousands march for socialism

See a photo essay from the May 1 march in Havana here.

Chicago, IL – Fight Back! is circulating a letter of greetings to the Chicago 20th Annual People’s Thanksgiving, sent by Gerardo Hernandez, of the Cuban 5. He is currently serving two life terms in federal prison. The letter includes a reference to Sarah Smith, one of the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists who were subpoenaed to a grand jury investigating “material support for terrorism.”

Fight Back New Service is circulating the following statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. On the Day of the Heroic Guerilla, we remember Che Guevara

The advances of the Cuban revolution have brought real improvements to people’s lives. A report made by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), titled “Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition,” gave the resilient island country a nod for being the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have eliminated malnutrition for children. The report also noted that the Cuban government has vowed to eliminate poverty and reach complete environmental sustainability by 2015, a year which approaches with great strides toward this end already taking place. This is a huge victory for Cubans, as they have faced over five decades of unjust blockade by the U.S. government and constant threats from hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Desde la prisión federal de Victorville, California, Gerardo Hernández envía un mensaje a todos aquellos que apoyan la lucha en favor de la liberación de los cinco cubanos: “Nuestra alegría y felicitaciones a todos nuestros compañeros y compañeras cuya solidaridad ha hecho posible este triunfo”. Al comentar el fallo emitido el 9 de agosto por la corte del Onceno Circuito, que revoca las sentencias y ordena un nuevo juicio fuera de Miami, Hernández reitera su firme convicción en la victoria.

Creciente apoyo en favor de su causa

San Francisco, CA – El próximo 10 de marzo en el Onceno Circuito de la Corte de Apelaciones tendrá lugar en la ciudad de Miami la audiencia pública en el caso de los cinco cubanos acusados de conspiración para cometer espionaje. Los abogados defensores de Ramon Labanino, Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero y René González contarán solamente con tres minutos por cada acusado, para responder a las 24 aspectos de la apelación que será escuchada por un panel de tres jueces.

El 8 de junio del 2001 la corte federal de Miami sentenció a duras condenas a cinco patriotas cubanos, Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, y René González, acusados de espionaje, de no haberse reportado como agentes de un gobierno extranjero y de haber conspirado para cometer asesinato.

On Sept. 29, an important demonstration will take place in Washington D.C. In conjunction with the protests surrounding the meeting of the International Monetary Fund, thousands will raise their voices against U.S. intervention in Latin America and the Caribbean. What follows is a reprint of the call to the protest. We urge the readers of Fight Back! to build for, and attend the demonstration.