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Writer's pictureMichael Laxer

Hands off socialist Cuba!

Updated: Jul 16, 2021

"It is our duty, as it is the duty of all democratic and left forces, to rally to the Cuban people, to rally to the Cuban Revolution." -- Messages of solidarity from around the world.



July 16: This post has been updated with the addition of two new solidarity messages.


Messages of solidarity with the Cuban people and the Cuban Revolution have been issued by Communist and Workers' parties and peace and left organizations around the world. As the western and imperialist media have been trying to amplify protests that occurred on Sunday, they have said little about the demonstrations in support of the revolution or the key role that the cruel and illegal economic blockade has played in efforts to foment destabilization.


We looked at the first Cuban rallies in support of the Revolution, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez speech in response to the protests and initial statements of solidarity in the post: Solidarity with Cuba! (theleftchapter.com).


As the Socialist Party of Latvia said in its statement, Hands off socialist Cuba! "We support the people of Cuba in their next battle for freedom and independence!"


The Communist Party of Ireland sums it up perfectly: "It is our duty, as it is the duty of all democratic and left forces, to rally to the Cuban people, to rally to the Cuban Revolution."


Statements links and excerpts:







Despite all the immense difficulties, Cuba has maintained its efforts to build socialism, led by its Communist Party and working class. They have created a medical system that is the envy of the world, provided free education for all its citizens, and ended homelessness. Cuba is an example to the world of what the working class can achieve.


It is for these reasons, chief among them medical solidarity, that they have been nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.


Yet U.S. imperialism never relents and now is trying to plant an anti-communist movement in the middle of Cuban society. In addition, members of Congress like Rep. Anthony Sabatini are openly calling for the toppling of the Cuban government and the execution of government members.


Despite the best efforts of the forces of reaction, the Cuban people stand strong. We see the videos of Cuban people flooding the streets in support of the government and the revolution.


The best solidarity we can build is to end the blockade, a position now supported by tens of millions in this country as represented by resolutions passed by city councils, trade unions, school boards, churches, and others.



The World Federation of Trade Unions, which is the militant voice of 105 million workers in 133 countries on five continents, conveys its internationalist solidarity to the Cuban workers and People. We strongly condemn the recent provocations orchestrated by counterrevolutionary elements in Cuba, organised and financed from the United States for destabilising purposes.

The world class-oriented trade union movement supports the Cuban People in their struggle against these actions. We demand the lifting of the criminal blockade that for 60 years has been creating serious problems for the economy and the lives of the Cuban people.

We support the right of the Cuban People to decide for themselves, freely and democratically, about their present and future, without the intervention of the imperialists. We salute the workers of Cuba, who during the Pandemic demonstrated the solidarity and internationalism of a system that does not treat health and the needs of the people as commodities and that opposes the exploitation of man by man.

We assure the heroic Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) that we are firmly on their side to repel this new anti-Cuban provocation. Together until the victory, always.



We reject and denounce the hypocritical international campaign that is being orchestrated against Cuba, which manipulates the difficult reality facing the Cuban people today, but does not say a single word about its main cause: the intensification of the United States blockade and the restrictions it generates for access to medicines, medical supplies, raw materials and energy, food and financing to deal with the health emergency and its effects on the general life of the country.


We call on the progressive, anti-imperialist, democratic and revolutionary forces of Venezuela and the world to exercise solidarity with the Cuban people and revolution in the face of these new provocations and attempts at destabilization against Cuba.



The example the Cuban people have set in resisting imperialism and building socialism, despite an unrelenting six decades long hybrid war from the most powerful country in history, is a truly heroic example for the world of what is possible with unity and struggle.


The current emergency is a result of the ongoing illegal and immoral blockade which is strangling the country and creating undue hardship. On Sunday, July 11, some relatively small protests took place against the shortages of food, medicines and power supply. President Diaz-Canel immediately travelled to San Antonio de los Baños, the site of the original protest, and spoke with the people about their grievances.


However, counterrevolutionary groups active in Cuba, receiving money from the United States, called for protests in other locations and have tied protest demands to “humanitarian intervention” and a “humanitarian corridor”. This is fabricated on the lie that is being circulated that the Cuban government is somehow blocking humanitarian aid. This is completely false, and solidarity groups around the world have been mobilizing to send medical supplies to Cuba for the last year, helping in Cuba’s exceptional struggle against the pandemic, particularly because of the US sanctions.


The pretext of “humanitarian intervention” has been used by the United States and Canada to carry out regime change operations, bombings, invasions and occupations in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, to name only a few of the countries most recently destroyed by the United States and NATO. The voices calling for humanitarian intervention now are the same as those supporting the blockade which has led directly to the shortages Cuba is experiencing.



The economic problems confronting Cuba are a result of the inhuman and criminal blockade imposed by the US for the last 60 years and more. The invocation of Title III of Helms-Burton Act strengthened the blockade and imposed unforeseen hardships. The US further tightened these sanctions during the pandemic by unjustly categorising Cuba as a 'State sponsoring terrorism'. Trump administration imposed an additional 243 sanctions that continue to remain in force.


As a result, Cuba is denied import of food, raw materials for the production of medicines, vaccines and lifesaving medical equipment, which accentuated the hardships of Cuban people. US is using social media platforms spreading fake news to instigate Cuban people to demonstrate against their government.


In spite of this, the Cuban government has developed its own vaccine candidates, helping the world in fighting the pandemic and trying to overcome all the economic obstacles.


During this period of serious hardships, we express our solidarity with the Cuban government and the people of Cuba. We call upon the people to stand with Cubans and its government in their struggle to defend their motherland, sovereignty and socialism.



The Biden government is continuing with its illegal blockade of Cuba. It has further strengthened the blockade at a time when the Cuban people are fighting a pandemic and when tourism—a major source of national income—has been severely reduced because of the global impact of the pandemic on international travel.


The Biden regime carries on the strategy of US imperialism of global domination, in particular to crush the resistance of the peoples of Latin America who are asserting their independence and sovereignty. US imperialism sees Cuba as the epicentre of that resistance to imperialist hegemony. Not alone in Latin America but around the globe, socialist Cuba stands out as a beacon of hope, a light of solidarity in a sea of darkness, of national oppression; a defender of national independence and sovereignty.


The blockade has done untold damage to the Cuba economy. It has prevented the Cuban people getting access to many necessary and life-saving goods and equipment; it has prevented Cuba from securing loans for necessary economic and social development; it is hurting the Cuban people hard.


We show our solidarity at a time of renewed resistance to imperialism. We also note that the imperialist states, headed by the United States, are attempting to shore up their declining economic power, their growing weakness, in the attempt to impose their will upon the people, both at home and internationally.


It is our duty, as it is the duty of all democratic and left forces, to rally to the Cuban people, to rally to the Cuban Revolution.



The Party of Labour of Austria declares its complete solidarity with the Republic of Cuba, with its heroic people and government, and with the Communist Party of Cuba, and demands an end to imperialist interference, aggression and threats, and an end to the US blockade against Cuba.


Other statements:








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