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.
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.
