Minneapolis, MN – On January 29, 35 cars caravanned through south Minneapolis in an effort to draw attention to the treatment of Cuba by the United States. The Solidarity Committee on the Americas and the MN Cuba Committee held their monthly Cuba caravan to demand an end to the U.S. blockade against Cuba and also the removal of Cuba from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

Even though Minnesota's harsh winter was at its peak with gusty winds making it feel like 20 below zero, activists dressed in many layers, taped signs to their cars, rallied for Cuba then took the caravan through residential streets.

Before the caravan began, people held banners and signs and chanted, “When Cuba is under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” The banners read, “Cuba off the U.S. terrorist list,” and “Take your knee off Cuba! End the blockade now!”

Sarah Martin of the Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) explained, “In 2015, Obama removed Cuba from the U.S. state sponsor of terrorism list. Trump put them back on citing only that Cuba provided a haven for Colombian insurgents, who were in Cuba due to the island’s role in facilitating the historic peace accords. Since when is providing a place for peace negotiations terrorism? By being back on the list, Cuba is again subjected to a series of severe sanctions and international financial restrictions and transactions that limit the nation’s ability to purchase medicines and medical supplies for its population and reboot its economy after the COVID pandemic. We demand Biden take action now and remove them from this list.”

Before introducing the main speaker, Martin described SCOTA’s delegation trip in November 2022. Mary Kosuth, a Minneapolis graduate student, was a part of it. Kosuth pointed out that before going to Cuba, she is at the age where one starts to see bad things on repeat and feeling defeated. “For years, I was an overwhelmed, underinsured, undervalued, and demoralized mother of two. I had no future but to grind away at a thankless job, too exhausted when I got home to do things I was passionate about. I was too exhausted to be involved in my community. I couldn’t even fight for my own dignity at work, how could I fight for the dignity of others on evenings and weekends? I was demoralized.” But after the trip, she told the crowd, “I fell in love with Cuba!”

Kosuth continued, “I saw real health care. I saw doctors living in the neighborhoods they served. They weren’t golfing. They weren’t holed up in gated communities shopping at Whole Foods. They lived among their patients. All children get the same education. I saw food grown organically and distributed locally. We visited an urban farm where food was grown with few pesticides and no inorganic fertilizers. I saw people working together, helping one another, rearing children and caring for their elderly, struggling together, in community, in solidarity. All of these incredible, inspiring, beautiful things are taking place right now, despite, a 61-year U.S. embargo.”

Kosuth ended by saying, “So, what is the U.S. government afraid of? Why does it feel so threatened by Cuba? Maybe they are afraid that citizens like me will see a way of life where people are treated with dignity and respect. Cuba personified, is a generous, affable, and genuine person. A person who looks you in the eyes when you speak and when you shake hands goodbye, Cuba pulls you in for a hug and calls you family. The United States personified, holds you like a tractor beam, in a suspicious glare, calculating your worth, your value, always thinking of what it has to gain. Of those two personalities, who would you rather be around?”

Before the caravan got going, there was a discussion to change the route to include the governor’s mansion, to be in solidarity with the “Justice For Tyre Nichols and all stolen lives” protest. Joe Callahan, a member of the MN Cuba Committee, explained, “In Cuba, many police officers are not armed with guns.” Callahan gave an example of Cuba’s police force, “In 1994 there was rioting on the docks in Havana, in which two policemen were killed, by people trying to seize a ferry boat to go to the U.S. In response, supporters of the revolution, including Fidel, headed down there, and Fidel gave orders that no weapons were to be used.”

The crowd agreed to change the route, noting the importance of being there with others. As the caravan drove almost six miles through the residential streets from Minneapolis to the governor's mansion in Saint Paul, people on the streets and other cars driving by saw the decorated cars with messages of “Hands off Cuba!” “Take Cuba off the U.S. Terrorlist.” The people in the caravan honked while other cars honked in support and people waved to them.

The caravan ended at the governor’s mansion, joining the rally of over 200 people demanding justice for Tyre Nichols and an end to police murders.

#MinneapolisMN #Cuba #SolidarityCommitteeOnTheAmericasSCOTA #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – The Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) and the Minnesota Cuba Committee held their monthly rally and car caravan, August 28, demanding the end to the blockade against Cuba. The caravans have been continuing for over a year as a part of an international effort with the participation of many cities across the world, most notably inspired by Cuban Americans who oppose the blockade in Miami, Florida.

As the rally started, Sarah Martin, a member of SCOTA, rallied the crowd with the chant, “Cuba sí, bloqueo no!

Martin addressed the crowd, “This month's caravan is particularly important to show our support to the Miami caravan. Senator Marco Rubio has sent a letter to the FBI urging an investigation of Puentes de Amor, the originator of the Miami caravan, and its leader Carlos Lazo accusing them of being ‘unregistered agents’ of Cuba. This is part of the FBI's long record of covert and illegal operations against progressive political organizations.”

Andrew Pulley, from the MN Cuba Committee, spoke of the FBI intimidation tactics on a few Cuban solidarity activist groups, “In particular, Senators Rubio, Cruz and Menendez have stepped up the investigation on Bridges of Love led by Lazo. But they won’t turn us around and we will double efforts to demand end the U.S. embargo, halt the travel restrictions, and let business between Cuba and US flow.”

The people chanted, “U.S. hands off Cuba!” Autumn Lake, member of the MN Anti War Committee, explained how Cuba shows us a better way, “Older generations said the U.S. economy used to be so much better for them, but for as long as I’ve been alive it has consistently been in decline. I’ve seen working people take the brunt of it, losing jobs and homes in the process. In real time these past few months I’ve seen pantry staples jump in price to the point that trips to the grocery store are starting to become inaccessible for some working people.”

Lake continued, “As anti-imperialists, we recognize that the U.S. imposes this political and economic cruelty on Cuba as well. And while worsening conditions in the U.S. are business as usual for the ownership class, the reason why the U.S. has been trying to undermine the Cuban people for 60 years is that Cuba clearly shows that another way is possible. While people in the U.S. deal with a system defined by cruelty that only intensifies over time, people in Cuba do not starve. They do not go homeless. They do not go without healthcare. 60 years of being denied access to the resources necessary to keep a country going and Cuba still has the most robust healthcare system in all of the Americas.”

As the crowd cheered, she continued, “The U.S. will continue to try to undermine this country that actually serves its own people until either it succeeds or collapses itself. We must push back against the propaganda that makes people believe that Cuba’s system isn’t an alternative to that cruelty.”

After the rally, the cars, covered in signs, lined up. The lead car had a bright red sign saying, “Cuba and the world against the blockade.” The other cars were decorated with signs of, “Cuba si, bloqueo no,” “Stand with socialist Cuba,” “U.S. out of Cuba,” and “End the blockade on Cuba,” with Cuban flags flying from the windows, drove a four-mile route on Lake Street.

Lake is a busy commercial street in a Latino and immigrant community. The caravan was enthusiastically supported by drivers passing by and many of the pedestrians as they stood in front of cafes waving, one even shouted “Cuba si, bloqueo no!” while raising his fist in the air.

The Twin Cities’ Cuba caravan is held every last Sunday of the month and encourages anyone who wants to participate to contact either the Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) or the Minnesota Cuba Committee on Facebook.

#MinneapolisMN #Cuba #SolidarityCommitteeOnTheAmericasSCOTA #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – The Solidarity Committee on the Americas (SCOTA) and the Minnesota Cuba Committee held their second rally and car caravan, September 26, demanding the end to the blockade against Cuba. The protest was part of a growing movement which started in Miami and has spread to many cities across the country and around the world.

“We are here today to bring attention to the longest ongoing war against Cuba,” said SCOTA member Kim DeFranco. “Why does the U.S. still have a blockade against Cuba? There are no U.S. troops, ships, planes or bombs being sent to Cuba, so what gives? The U.S. has been at war with Cuba, either directly or indirectly, since Cuba gained independence in 1898. But especially after a failed attempt to invade Cuba, known as The Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961.”

DeFranco rallied the crowd, “When Cuba is under attack, what do we do?” The crowd responded, “Stand up fight back!”

Jerris Heckler of SCOTA, greeted the people, “We welcome you to the Minnesota car caravan against the blockade on Cuba. We are part of an international and U.S. campaign to hold car caravans held on the last Sundays of each month. As we know, the blockade is a violation of international law, a criminal and inhumane policy to punish the Cuban people for their independence and sovereignty.”

An important reason why the blockade needs to end, Heckler explained, is that, “The country has developed three vaccines and three vaccine candidates, has fully vaccinated 37.8 million Cuban citizens and expects full vaccination of its population before the end of 2021. Additionally, Cuba has become the ‘vanguard in child vaccinations’ and is the first country in the world to undertake a massive vaccination campaign against COVID-19 for children ages two to 11, starting in the province of Cienfuegos. The island nation has vast experience and invention and production of vaccines for children and large-scale operation to carry out child vaccine campaigns.”

Cuba has a history of sharing its knowledge and medicines throughout the world, yet the U.S. thumbs its nose at this humanitarian gesture.

Sandi Sherman, member of the MN Cuba Committee, stated, “On September 7, President Joseph Biden extended the U.S. embargo of Cuba for another year under the Trading with the Enemy Act. This is no surprise, since every president, Democrat and Republican alike, has done the same since 1962. Biden, like his predecessors, views Cuba’s socialist revolution as the most serious challenge to U.S. imperialism in the world. Soon after working people in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro and the July 26 Movement, overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, the U.S. government put their revolution in its gunsights.”

Senator Sandra Pappas is a Minnesota state senator since 1991 and has led trips to Cuba. She has authored and supported resolutions to end the blockade. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she authored resolutions to work collaboratively with Cuba and sent a “Dear Colleague Letter” to Governor Tim Walz to encourage the state to work with Cuba and their doctors.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Cuba #Americas #PeoplesStruggles #SolidarityCommitteeOnTheAmericasSCOTA #MinnesotaCubaCommittee