Minneapolis, MN – Twin Cities activists participated in a car caravan, July 31, calling on the Biden administration to end the 60-year-long U.S. blockade of Cuba. The WAMM Solidarity Committee of the Americas (SCOTA) and the MN Cuba Committee organized this one as a part of an international day of action. Car caravans have been held once a month for two years in cities across the world to show solidarity with Cuba and to call for an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

The 25-plus car and bike caravan drove along Lake Street which is a busy commercial street in a Latino and immigrant community passing by the boarded up and abandoned police Third Precinct building, made famous during the George Floyd uprising. From their car windows, the solidarity activists flew Cuban flags, displayed signs which said, “End the U.S. blockade of Cuba” and “U.S. hands off Cuba,” and honked together to chants like “¡Cuba sí, bloqueo no!” The caravan was enthusiastically supported by drivers in the heavy traffic as well as pedestrians on the streets and in front of cafes.

At a rally before the caravan, Drake Meyers spoke for the MN Anti War Committee and compared the different responses to the disastrous Hurricane Irma between Cuba, a socialist state, and Puerto Rico, a U.S. colonial possession, “Cuba had electricity two days later, whereas in Puerto Rico it took a year. In Puerto Rico 3000 died, but in Cuba only a couple of dozen people did. Cuba is a country where the well-being of people is put ahead of private property. Cuba serves as an example to us all that things can be done differently. Let’s follow the example of the Cuban Revolution and keep fighting and fighting. The blockade must be ended as soon as possible to allow their system to flower and to protect them from the upcoming climate catastrophes.”

Omar Hoover from the Party for Socialist Liberation told the rally, “In spite of the blockade Cuba has near zero homelessness and illiteracy, public education for all, top tiered health programs, has sent over 30,000 medical workers to 40-plus countries and developed a lung cancer treatment, five COVID vaccines, and a Alzheimer’s treatment in its final trial.”

Joe Callahan of the MN Cuba Committee announced, “I want to share some news about a true heroine, Ana Belen Montes, a Puerto Rican, who has been in the horrible federal prison in Carswell, Texas since 2001 for espionage. She worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency and had access to top secret information on U.S. plans of aggression against Cuba that she shared with Cuba. She will be released next year and deserves utmost respect for everyone who supports the Cuban people and their right to peace and sovereignty.”

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