By María Josefina Arce
Together with the Cubans in this historic month of July, there will be friends from other nations, especially from Latin America and the Caribbean, to once again show their support for Cuba, for its struggle against the genocidal U.S. blockade and in defense of its right to live in peace.
From the brother peoples of Puerto Rico, Brazil and other countries of the region we will once again receive a message of love and solidarity.
As has become traditional, members of the Juan Rius Rivera Brigade from Puerto Rico, the 28th Latin American and Caribbean Brigade and the Brazilian Caravan will share productive activities and exchange with the people.
This visit has a special significance for Cubans, since next 26th is the 70th anniversary of the assaults on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Barracks in Bayamo.
During their stay in our territory, they will also carry out various activities to express their rejection of the economic, commercial and financial siege imposed by the United States for more than six decades against the Cuban people.
The members of these brigades do not rest in their denunciation of Washington's hostile actions against the Caribbean nation, ranging from the blockade, its unjust inclusion in the spurious list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism, to media campaigns.
And among those friends, Pastors for Peace, headed by its executive director Gail Walker, who was recently arrested for trying to peacefully meet with U.S. Congressman Robert Menendez to discuss his cruel policies towards the Greater Antilles, could not be left out.
The U.S. ecumenical organization has been organizing the U.S.-Cuba Friendship Caravans since 1992 to collect solidarity aid for the Cuban people.
Defying the framework of blockade laws, year after year the caravanners travel to the archipelago with invaluable donations collected during their tours of various U.S. cities, where they also make known the truth about Cuba.
Fines, detentions and other arbitrariness have been suffered by the members of the Caravan, who, as expressed by Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel, "bring us the encouragement that Cuba is not alone; that in the American people there is sincere affection, fraternity and solidarity help towards us".
This will also be a month of brotherhood and much solidarity towards Cuba, recently declared in Brasilia by the Sao Paulo Forum as Universal Heritage of Dignity, for its heroic resistance to the U.S. blockade.
