Jose Marti, the 19th Century Cuban national independence hero and revolutionary thinker said that ‘To be educated is to be free’. The importance of education has always been at the heart of the Cuban revolution – the 26 July Movement revolutionary programme declared: ‘We believe that true democracy can be attained only with citizens who are free, equal, educated and have dignified and productive jobs.’ From January 1959, the revolutionary government took steps to create a free and more productive education system. The 1960 literacy campaign recruited 300,000 young Cuban volunteers to live in the poorest rural areas teaching peasants and rural workers to read and write. Within a year every Cuban had achieved basic literacy. 37 schools were built in the first year of the revolution, compared to one school built in the previous 57 years. Free universal education up to and including university is a central pillar of Cuban socialism today, from specialist schools to support children with disabilities to far-flung solar-powered mountain schools teaching one or two children, education is for all.
Our brigade volunteered at a construction site in Guanabacoa, Havana that was working to rebuild over 8,000 homes destroyed by a tornado in January. Astoundingly, by the time of our visit in April, over 80% of the homes had already been rebuilt and the aim is to complete the rebuilding process by November! Where is the equivalent process for Grenfell? Plans for the new homes were made by the Ministry of construction in consultation with the community. Volunteer labour brigades are guided and trained by professional workers whilst municipalities are supported to produce whatever building materials they can. We saw first-hand, how recovered materials were being reused in building, whilst other workers produced cement.
There are increasing outbreaks of measles globally: 112,163 confirmed cases in 2019 so far (900 in England and Wales in 2018). Almost 110,000 people died from measles in 2017 – mostly children under the age of five. Complications can result in disabilities such as blindness and hearing loss. Europe had over 83,500 cases in 2018 in Ukraine (16 deaths), Greece, Italy, France, Serbia, Russia and Georgia, as well as Israel. Astonishingly (or not), Germany, Italy, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine remain endemic for measles, the world’s most infectious illness, but one which is entirely preventable with a simple, effective, safe vaccine. Driving the outbreaks are disadvantaged and marginalised communities of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people, such as Irish Travellers or Orthodox Jews. There are inequalities in vaccine uptake by ethnicity, deprivation and geography. Between 2010 and 2017: the US had 2,593,000 unvaccinated children, France had 600,000, and the UK 527,000; in sub-Saharan Africa over 17m infants are unvaccinated annually.
In April 2019, Rock around the Blockade sent its 14th solidarity brigade to Cuba, celebrating 60 years of the socialist revolution. Our visit coincided with the inauguration of Cuba’s new constitution, supported by 86% of voters, produced by an outstanding exercise in participatory democracy in which 8.9 million Cubans took part. In our visits and exchanges, Cubans from every walk of life shone with determination to resist the US’s attacks on socialism and continue to construct a sustainable socialist society.
Growing US aggression against progressive governments in Latin America is being accompanied by Cold War rhetoric from Washington. Speaking to right-wing Venezuelans in Florida, President Donald Trump proclaimed on 18 February that ‘the twilight hour of socialism has arrived’. Visiting the country at a decisive moment, we brigadistas learned first-hand that Cuba is getting ready to prove Trump wrong. Will Harney reports.
As previously reported (see FRFI 269), for months the Trump administration has been threatening to activate a long-dormant piece of anti-Cuban legislation, Title III of the Helms-Burton Act which has been suspended by every president since the Act itself was passed in 1996. The sword fell on 17 April, anniversary of the failed 1961 US invasion of Cuba at Playa Giron (the Bay of Pigs). National Security Advisor John Bolton, speaking to right-wing Cuban exiles and former mercenaries at the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association in Miami, announced that the suspension on Title III would be fully lifted from 2 May.
At a visit to a music school named after the Cuban composer Guillermo Tomás Bouffartigue, we learned about the exemplary education system in Cuba and how it is used to supply Cuba’s youth with musical education.
The school accepts any child that shows a particular aptitude toward music, an approach replicated throughout Cuba’s specialist art schools. The school is free for all, and children are provided with musical instruments and everything they need except for copy books and pens. There is a widespread effort to ensure that children with the dedication and talent are given a good musical education no matter where they live on the island. There are four such schools in Havana Province and the students undertake their usual school studies in the mornings and practice music in the afternoons.
We can contrast this with the level of access to musical education in Britain, where arts departments and facilities have been facing cuts as a result of austerity and a fifth of schools don’t offer music as a subject for 14-16-year olds. In capitalist Britain, a high standard of musical education is offered to a privileged minority of pupils and those outside of this circle face an uphill battle to access arts education, even if they can prove their ability.
In socialist Cuba, access to art and culture are seen as basic rights. Monica Maestri the principal of Guillermo Tomás, emphasised ‘the school responds to the revolutionary message of equal opportunities and possibilities for all’. This is despite the illegal US blockade which costs Cuba an estimated $12 million a day!
Collaborating with the ‘Send a piano to Cuba’ project, Rock around the Blockade donated £1000 of musical instruments and equipment to the Guillermo Tomas music school. The extra-territorial tentacles of the blockade froze ‘Piano to Cuba’ funds through Eventbrite and Stripe, so we were determined to deliver piano hammers for the restoration of a Grand Piano.
The 14th solidarity brigade to socialist Cuba was a resounding success, and the brigadistas who visited Cuba are now taking part in public meetings around the country to report back to people in Britain what they learned from the brigade. We would like to extend our thanks to all those who supported the brigade fundraising to make it a valuable and successful mission.
We are ready to share the lessons learned about socialism, sustainability and solidarity with people here in Britain. Below are the details of our currently arranged report-back meetings taking place in local areas:
BIRMINGHAM:
Cuba: Saving lives across the globe, Friday 24 May, 6.30pm-8.30pm, The Wellington, 37 Bennetts Hill, B2 5SN Facebook event
Cuba, socialism and the environment, Saturday 8 June, 3pm-5.30pm, The Woodman, New Canal St, B5 5LG Facebook event
GLASGOW – Cuban youth today - still revolutionary, Sunday 5 May, 2-5pm, The Flying Duck, 142 Renfield Street G2 3AU Facebook event
LONDON – Eyewitness reports from Cuba, a sustainable socialist society, Wednesday 15 May, 7.30pm, The Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street WC1X 9AA Facebook event
North London – Tuesday 28 May, 7.30pm-9.30pm, Oak & Pastor, 86 Junction Road N19 5QZ
East London – Saturday 1 June, 2.30-4.30pm, Sylvia’s Corner, 97 Aldworth Road E15 4DN
South London – Eyewitness reports from Cuba Wednesday 5 June, 7pm, Location TBC Facebook event
West London – Wednesday 12 June, 7.30pm, West London Trade Union Club, 33-35 High Street, W3 6ND
LIVERPOOL – Cuba report: capitalism is extinction, socialism is survival Sunday 19 May, 2-5pm, The Black-E, 1 Great George Street L1 5EW Facebook event
MANCHESTER – Eyewitness reports of the green revolution, Sunday 12 May, 2pm-5pm, Dulcimer Bar, 567 Wilbraham Road M21 0AE Facebook event
NEWCASTLE:
Socialism or extinction - Cuba confronts environmental destruction, Saturday 11 May, Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, NE1 7BJ Facebook event
Cuba: resisting the new imperialist offensive on socialism, Monday 20 May, Good Space, Floor 2, Commercial Union House, 39 Pilgrim St, NE1 6QE Facebook event
Cuba: fighting racism and building a society for all, Saturday 8 June, 3pm, The Verb, Upper Level, Eldon Garden NE1 7RA Facebook event
NOTTINGHAM – Cuba: eyewitness reports of the revolution
Sneinton - Monday 6 May, 7.30-9.30pm, St Christopher’s Church, Trent Road NG2 4AL Facebook event
Hockley- Saturday, 25 May, 4pm-7pm, The Hockley Rebel, 9 Broad Street, NG1 3AJ Facebook event
This April, Rock Around the Blockade held its 14th solidarity brigade to socialist Cuba, celebrating 60 years of the Cuban revolution. 17 activists spent two weeks visiting schools, nurseries, grandparents’ groups, community centres and cooperatives. We held meetings with trade union officials, representatives of the Cuban women’s federation and journalists. In a political act to break the blockade we brought case-loads of musical instruments and children’s toys and donated over £900 to the repair fund following a tornado that tore through Havana in January. A major highlight was the opportunity to visit CENESEX – the National centre for sexual education and discuss with research specialist Anabelise Perdomo Caceres about Cuba’s approach to LGBT rights, including the new constitution and Cuba’s approach to trans-healthcare.
I am a trans woman who has been navigating the NHS care pathway for the last 4 years, so I was keen to find out how my experience compares with Cuba’s approach.
On 24 April 2019 the BBC published an article which was clearly intended to attack the Cuban revolution, while it lacked any seriousness or credibility: "Cuba's government mocked by stampede of ostrich memes". The article tries to mock the Cuban revolution with very questionable foundations. A member of the recent Rock Around The Blockade 2019 Brigade has written the following reply:
To Pascal Fletcher and the BBC:
I feel like the BBC needs to do a little bit of research before publishing articles. You have been very quick to amplify the voices of social media users - whether Cuban or not - who are critical of the government. However, you haven't offered facts or the views of "the other side". Any credible news source should show some balance and use evidence in their reporting. In fact, how about you start reporting on Brexit using memes and comments on online forums as your only source?
I have just been on a solidarity brigade to Cuba with Rock Around The Blockade, which has given me the chance to see the situation in Cuba for myself and talk to many experts. I therefore feel compelled to present you with some important facts.
Today the brigade visited Leonor Perez agricultural cooperative, named after the mother of Cuban national hero Jose Marti. The cooperative organically produces fruit, crops, medicinal plants and animal products, 90% of which are supplied to Cuban state state institutions such as hospitals and nurseries.
At the community centre Taller de transformacion barrio El Principe we took in performances of singing, dancing and martial arts. Abajo el bloqueo!
'Down with the US blockade against Cuba'
Images from today's meetings with the Editorial Director of the Juventud Rebelde communist youth newspaper, at the Autochapt cooperative general meeting and a presentation by Bruno Henriquez of renewable energy initiative Cubasolar.
Autochapt cooperative
Autochapt cooperative
Juventud Rebelde communist youth newspaper
Presentation by Bruno Henriquez of renewable energy initiative Cubasolar
Presentation by Bruno Henriquez of renewable energy initiative Cubasolar
At our meeting yesterday at the National Centre for Sex Education we discussed the advancement of LGBT rights in Cuba and the debate around same sex marriage in the constitutional update.
Today we met with representatives from the Cuban Institute for Friendship of the peoples to learn about Cuban internationalism and solidarity with oppressed people around the world.
We also spoke to officials from the Women's Federation and learned of their work in defending and advancing the rights of women and girls in Cuban society.
Finally we met journalists from the Cuban news outlet Cubadebate to discuss press freedom and the ways we can counter the anti-Cuba and anti-Venezuela narratives pushed by the bourgeois media in Britain and the US.
Today the brigade visited the Centre for Molecular Immunology where we learned about the significant advances in the development of vaccines, and the ways the blockade against Cuba has affected the ability of Cuban researchers to collaborate scientifically with other countries.
We held a meeting with the president of the Cuban Association of Economists and Accountants, Ramón Labañino Salazar (who was also one of the Cuban 5 political prisoners) to discuss the updates to Cuba's economic model.
The Center of Molecular Immunology (Centro de Inmunología Molecular) or CIM
Meeting with Ramón Labañino Salazar one of the Cuban Five
Today the brigade visited an elderly care centre in Havana and exchanged knowledge about social care in Britain and Cuba, as well as talking to the elders about their experience of life before and after the Revolution.
At the Latin American School of Medicine, we spoke to Victor Diaz Feran, Specialist for International Relations about the role of medicine in Cuba's inspiring internationalism. We also interviewed students from Palestine who hope to train in medicine in order to support their own country.
Today the brigadistas volunteered at La Granja Rosita UJC farm, planting animal feed, and learning about the methods of organic farming employed to improve self sufficiency in Cuban food production.
We held an exchange with Rafael González Muñoz, the president of the Hermanos Sais Association, the cultural and artistic vanguard of Cuba, discussing the role of art in the Revolution.
The brigadistas volunteered at La Granja Rosita UJC farm
The brigadistas volunteered at La Granja Rosita UJC farm
The brigadistas volunteered at La Granja Rosita UJC farm
Rafael González Muñoz, the president of the Hermanos Sais Association
Today the brigade visited the Cochito Azul nursery school where we exchanged knowledge with the staff about early years provision in Britain and Cuba, and gave a donation of toys and educational materials.
We volunteered at a construction site where homes damaged by the tornado in January are being rebuilt - more houses with more facilities will replace the damaged buildings.
In the evening we were invited to join CDR (Committee for the Defence of the Revolution) no. 1 for a street event where we spoke to locals about how the CDR supports the community and saw performances by the youth.
Cochito Azul nursery
Cochito Azul nursery
We volunteered at a construction site where homes damaged by the tornado in January 2019
We volunteered at a construction site where homes damaged by the tornado in January 2019
In the evening we were invited to join CDR (Committee for the Defence of the Revolution)
The brigade visited the Pioneers Palace, where we met young Cubans learning vocational skills such as cooking, electrical engineering and factory production.
We visited the William Soler Special School and learned about provision for children with deafness, blindness and multiple disabilities.
In the afternoon we visited the Guillermo Tomas Bouffartigue Music School and saw performances by children in 4th-6th grade. We gave a donation of musical instruments and supplies.
The 14th brigade to Cuba, celebrating 60 years of revolution, is underway!
Comrades from branches of the Revolutionary Communist Group are visiting organisations and projects in Cuba to learn about socialism and bring these lessons back to Britain.
Today the brigadistas visited a youth project called 'Constructing the future' based at a secondary school in Havana. We also held an exchange with members of the Federation of University Students, who told us about how they took part in the process of creating a new Constitution for Cuba. Young people are playing a key role in building a socialist society.
Imperialist hands off Venezuela! Solidarity actions around the country today in Nottingham, London and Newcastle. We reject British support for the coup, we reject the biased media coverage of the BBC, Guardian and mainstream press. We demand the lifting of all British sanctions against Venezuela - the Bank of England must release the $1.3 billion of gold it is with-holding from Venezuela!
No sanctions - No coup - Venezuela - we stand with you!
The Revolutionary Communist Group completely opposes the illegal attempts by the United States to foment a coup against the socialist government in Venezuela and its democratically elected president Nicolas Maduro. This is the culmination of a process of destabilisation and violence to undermine a progressive government that has won 23 elections in 20 years and ploughed oil wealth into housing, health care and education. Following the condemnation of US National Security adviser John Bolton of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua as a ‘troika of tyranny’, this is the latest offensive in the war on socialism in Latin America.
On 16 October US delegates to the United Nations announced a political campaign called ‘Jailed for What?’. The campaign aims to portray Cuba as a politically repressive country. The US asserts falsely that Cuba has 130 political prisoners who are being punished for exercising their right to free speech. Cuban and Bolivian delegates disrupted the campaign’s launch meeting at the UN, banging tables and chanting ‘Cuba sí, bloqueo no!’ (‘Cuba yes, blockade no!’) to drown out the allegations coming from US delegates. Cuba dismisses the allegations, saying that the US aims to use this as an excuse to maintain the economic blockade of the island. Referring to the Trump administration’s renewed hostility towards Cuba (see FRFI 259) the Cuban Ambassador to the UN, Anayansi Rodriguez Camejo, released a statement after the meeting: ‘the United States lacks the morals to give lessons, much less in this matter’ and ‘It is part of the actions aimed at subverting the legitimately established constitutional order and of the interventionist agenda that has gained renewed momentum under the current administration, whose fascist, racist and xenophobic ideas are a matter of grave concern in the international community’.
