by 'Bridges of Love.    Photo: File/RHC

By María Josefina Arce

The majority of U.S. citizens support the lifting of the blockade that their country has maintained for almost six decades against Cuba.

This has been a constant demand of U.S. congressmen, ecumenical organizations, departmental authorities and agricultural groups.

But it is also a demand of Cubans living in the United States and in other parts of the world who want normal relations and welfare for their families.

However, the arrival in January of this year of Joseph Biden to the presidency of the United States has not represented any change in the hostile policy towards the Caribbean island.  The current tenant of the White House maintains intact the more than 200 measures against the Cuban people adopted by his predecessor Donald Trump.

The Biden administration has not only ignored the condemnation last June by 184 UN nations against the economic siege, but has also ignored the demands of its own citizens.

In the last year, more than 25 state legislatures, municipalities, labor and school boards have passed resolutions in favor of ending the blockade and calling for medical and scientific collaboration with Cuba.

These resolutions represent millions of people and include major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland, San Francisco and Seattle.

Faced with the overbearing attitude of the U.S. government, solidarity organizations and projects such as 'Bridges of Love' have not ceased in recent months to carry out actions to make visible the damage caused by the economic siege and to demand its end.

With that purpose, in the first half of this year 'Bridges of Love' toured several U.S. cities. From Miami, in the state of Florida, the march set out on its journey of more than 2,000 kilometers to Washington, adding more and more participants.

Thousands of signatures were also collected in condemnation of a genocidal policy that affects sensitive areas and which remained intact even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On that occasion, Cuban American professor Carlos Lazo, promoter of the 'Bridges of Love' initiative, pointed out that those who voted for Biden demand that he review the hostile policy towards Cuba and be consistent with those who voted for him in the hope of a substantial change towards the largest of the Antilles.

Thus, as every month since the beginning of the year, a new world caravan of solidarity with Cuba is taking place this weekend, organized by 'Bridges of Love'.

It is a new demonstration of the feelings of many people around the world, who reject a criminal and obsolete measure that causes pain and suffering to Cuban families, and prevents the development of a sovereign and independent country.