FRFI 178 April / May 2004
In early February, Rock around the Blockade in London held a very successful fundraising evening with political speeches, poetry, rap, live music and video footage. We were honoured to have Manuel Rubido from the Cuban embassy in London who spoke about the Miami 5 and their struggle for justice and against the US blockade and illegal interference in Cuban affairs. A comrade recently returned from Venezuela showed a short inspiring video shot during a march and rally to celebrate the second anniversary of the successful return of Chavez after the coup. There was poetry inspired by Che Guevara, a beautiful rendition of Tracy Chapman’s song Revolution and a Spanish singer songwriter played revolutionary songs on the guitar. Rap artists made the link between the struggle for socialism in Cuba and the struggle against racism and poverty in this country and the struggle for justice for the Palestinians.
London Rock around the Blockade members held a meeting about the FTAA and the struggles going on in Latin America to block the advance of the FTAA. The speaker made the issues very clear by showing a map of Latin America and how the US aims to influence the continent. This meeting came just after the third Hemispheric Forum of Struggle against the FTAA held in Havana where 1,230 participants from 32 countries came together and concluded that there will be many alternatives for a better world and that the FTAA being offered by the US does nothing to benefit the people and everything to benefit the large US multinationals.
RATB members attended the North London Cuba Solidarity dayschool in March and took part in discussions. Of note was our intervention in the session about Venezuela, when too many speakers from the floor found reasons to criticise the Venezuelan situation and deny the revolutionary role of the Chavez government. As our comrade pointed out, there is no blueprint for a revolution, each situation will be different and what is happening in Venezuela is a movement being led by the oppressed in the interests of the majority. This we must support.
On 10 March, the appeal hearing of the Miami 5 was heard by the Circuit Court in Miami. The Miami 5 – Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labaniño, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and Rene González – are the five Cubans arrested in 1998 on trumped-up espionage charges, sentenced to long sentences (between 15 years and life) by a politically prejudiced Miami court and dispersed to gaols around the US where they have been held for a long time in solitary confinement. The Miami 5’s only ‘crime’ was to maintain surveillance on the violent counter-revolutionary exile groups based in Miami and so prevent further acts of terrorism and sabotage against Cuba. Judgment on the appeal has been reserved and is not expected for several months. Rock around the Blockade will be holding events in support of the men nearer the time. In the meantime, the Miami 5 would appreciate letters of solidarity.
Write to:
Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo
#58739-004, US Penitentiary Lompoc, 3901 Klein Boulevard, Lompoc, CA 93436 USA
Ramon Labaniño (write to as Luis Medina)
#58734-004, USP Beaumont, PO Box 26030, Beaumont, Texas 77720-6035 USA
Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez
#58741-004 USP Florence, PO Box 7500, Florence, CO 81226 USA
Fernando González Llort (write to as Ruben Campa) #58733-004, FCI Oxford, PO Box 1000, Oxford WI 53952-0505 USA
Rene González
#58738-004, FCI McKean, PO Box 8000, Bradford, PA 16701 USA.
If you are not already involved, we urge you to find out how you can help Rock around the Blockade and get involved in raising money for the Union of Young Communists for a sound system to take to Cuba in 2005 for recreational and political use, as well as helping to raise the profile of the Miami 5 at such a crucial stage of their resistance.
RATB members and supporters hold regular stalls with petitioning and leafleting around the country and in London there is a fundraising social on 8 May and a club night planed for early July. To be kept up to date with news, views and information about Cuba, e-mail [email protected] to join our e-group and you can receive our newsletter regularly by joining Rock around the Blockade (£10/£4/£2, cheques payable to Rock around the Blockade and sent to BCM Box 5909, London WC1N 3XX).
For more information phone 020 7837 1688 or e-mail [email protected]
