The Reclaim the Republic-Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht Campaign Reaches Cuba
Over the course of the summer, a number of Éirígí activists visited the island of Cuba. These activists travelled there to take part in the Jose Marti European International Work Brigade which travels to Cuba each year to work in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution. The brigade was situated at the Campamento Internacional Julio Antonio Mella, a short distance outside Havana. The solidarity work took the form of both agricultural and construction work.
As part of the camp’s programme, many groups and individuals came to give talks and presentations to brigadistas from the various European countries represented. These visits allowed the Éirígí members the opportunity to present Spanish language versions of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic to the families of the Miami 5, veterans of the revolutionary war, members of the Cuban Olympic Team, representatives of student & youth groups, the Union of Young Communists, and reporters from Granma Newspaper etc.
Copies of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic were also circulated amongst individuals and members of political parties from a wide range of European countries. Brigadistas from Greece, Finland, Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, France, Scotland and England were amongst those who received a copy of the Proclamation along with the many Cubans who received copies translated into Spanish. The response to this distribution was universally positive and met with a great deal of interest. International brigadistas, and Cubans alike, understood the revolutionary importance of the document.
In Cuba, the revolution is ongoing; it is not simply an event which took place at a specific point in history, but rather a day-to-day struggle for the advancement of humanity, as relevant and important today as it was five decades ago. The 150,000 people that gathered in Bayamo to celebrate on July 26th bear witness to the continuing appeal that the revolution continues to hold for the people of Cuba.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: Economic Priorities
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, 85% of Cuba’s foreign trade collapsed with it. Added to this, supplies of fuel, raw materials, food and machinery literally disappeared over-night. In view of this economic turmoil, and the continued blockade of Cuba by the United States, few believed that Cuba could survive without the economic support of the Soviet Union. Yet, fifteen years later, the Cuban revolution remains on its socialist path and continues to be a beacon of hope to oppressed people around the world.
The fact that Cuba still continues to confound its critics by its economic survival, and gradual regeneration, is the greatest testimony to the revolutionary fighting spirit and determination of the Cuban people. In fact, in the process of meeting the challenges of the economic crisis, the Cuban revolution displayed the true humanity which lies at the heart of socialist philosophy.
The priority of the revolution is the well-being of the people and the advancement of humanity as a whole. This is proven by the fact that, in the midst of economic crisis, not a single health care centre, school, day-care centre, university or sports facility was closed down. This is a phenomenal statistic, especially when viewed in light of the quality of provision of these facilities in Ireland. It shows what can be achieved when a society’s values are defined by the principles of co-operation, unity, and communal wealth, rather than a society driven by a parasitic individualism where success is defined by the amassment of personal fortune at the expense of others.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: Internationalism
The plaque on the wall on Calle O’Reilly in old Havana reads in Irish, Spanish and English: “Two island nations in the same sea of hope and struggle, Cuba and Ireland”. No nation better understands and appreciates the importance of the struggle against imperialism than Cuba. In this struggle, the two nations of Ireland and Cuba share a common bond of comradeship. The appreciation of this common bond of comradeship was re-affirmed following a visit to the monument dedicated to the H-Block Martyrs, situated in Havana.
The monument had sustained considerable storm damage which had resulted in the marble on one side becoming detached and shattering into pieces. Éirígí member, Daithí Mac An Mháistir, contacted the government department in charge of parks and monuments to make them aware of the damage to the monument. Within a week the area around the monument had been tidied-up, the bushes surrounding the monument had been cut back, the monument itself was totally repaired and a wreath was laid on behalf of the Cuban government. The respectful and dedicated approach displayed is a reflection of the spirit of the Cuban Revolution and its attitude towards internationalism in struggle.
Indeed, over the years, the Cuban contribution to international socialism has been enormous. This contribution has taken on many forms. When needed, Cubans sent military support to Angola in order to confront the fascist forces of the South African Apartheid regime. Cuba has sent, and continues to send, thousands of volunteer doctors to impoverished areas of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.
In fact, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when the U.S. administration failed its own citizens, Cuba offered to send 1,600 doctors and medical aid to the disaster area. Along with this international aid, thousands of students from impoverished areas around the globe receive medical training, free of charge, at universities in Cuba. T This demonstrates the spirit of co-operation and shared struggle which pervades the Cuban revolution in its application of socialist principles, both in Cuba and internationally.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: United States Aggression
For nearly five decades, Cuba has had to endure and rebuff an undeclared war which has been waged against it by the United States and their intermediaries. This undeclared war has taken on many forms including state-sponsored terrorism, full-scale military assault, overt and covert interference with the internal affairs of Cuba, and a blockade which has lasted, and has become increasingly restrictive, for nearly fifty years. The actions of the United-States and their CIA-trained surrogates have claimed the lives of thousands of Cuban citizens, and have resulted in the injury and permanent disfiguration of thousands more.
The hypocrisy which lies at the heart of U.S. led “War on Terror” is the same hypocrisy which has shaped U.S. policy towards Cuba over the last five decades. In fact their imperialist interference in Cuba’s affairs stretches back to their intervention in the Cuban-Spanish War. The hypocrisy of the U.S. in their dealings with Cuba has never been more blatant than in the case of the Miami 5. These five men had been monitoring the activities of groups, based in Miami, who were planning, and had previously carried out, terrorist acts against Cuba. The U.S. administration has rewarded these men, for their actions against terrorism, with imprisonment.
In the course of their counter-terrorist activities, Cuban intelligence compiled a large portfolio of information relating to the groups based in Miami. In an act of good faith, and believing that the information would be acted on, the Cuban authorities shared this information with the FBI. However, rather than acting against the Miami based groups, the U.S. authorities arrested the Miami 5 on 12th September, 1998, and accused them of plotting against the United States. The trial which followed has been described by U.S. civil rights lawyer, Leonard Weinglass, as a “violation” from start to finish. The verdicts resulted in the five being sentenced to serve a total of three life sentences plus sixty-eight years. The ongoing ordeal endured by the men and their families has been exacerbated by a litany of human rights violations, perpetrated by the U.S. authorities.
What Now for the Cuban Revolution?
The Cubans are the first to admit that the revolution is not without its faults. They are comfortable in admitting that they can, and will, make improvements and are constantly challenging themselves to accelerate the revolutionary process. It must always be remembered that this revolutionary process has been carried out under the most severe conditions which imperialism has created in its attempt to halt the development of socialism.
In the dark days of 1981, when ten Irishmen gave their lives on hunger-strike, Fidel Castro courageously spoke out in condemnation of the wrongs committed by British imperialism against Ireland. Whilst giving the opening speech at the 68th conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, he addressed the subject of the hunger-strike and concluded by saying that “It is high time for the world community to put an end to this repulsive atrocity through denunciation and pressure!”.
Twenty-five years later, this call needs to be echoed by the world community in condemning the imperialist atrocities committed against the people of Cuba and oppressed people all over the world. The people of Ireland have a role to play in opposing the continued aggression being directed towards Cuba by the United States and their allies in Europe. By speaking out against these injustices, people across the world are not only standing in solidarity with the Cuban people; they are expressing solidarity with all victims of the imperialist system which only serves to perpetuate the cycle of war, racism, economic injustice and exploitation of the masses for the benefit of the few.