The Revolutionary Communist Group's Rock around the Blockade campaign sent its 10th brigade to Cuba in April 2007. It spent a week in the rural area of Caimito and a second week in Havana city. More photos, written reports, audio and video are on the way. Don't forget to check the 'Events' page for local reportback meetings.
Read comrade Annie Richards' speech from the Newcastle reportback meeting.
Women have equal rights in Cuba, but this is not a closed book for the revolutionary process. At the Cuban Womens Federation (FMC) in Caimito the comrades explained that the fight now is focused on evening things out in all sectors of work, education and organisation so that men and women can truly be equal. Socialism is paving the way for this to happen.
During a visit to a citrus factory we asked the workers about their work and their rights. They said that despite the contradictions of the special period, especially in the tourism industry where much of Cuba's best produce goes, they recognise the significance of Cuba's economic growth - wages are rising and more progress is being made education and healthcare. All of the workers said they would be out in the streets for the Mayday celebrations.
It was very important for our group to build on the links we already have with Juventud Rebelde - the paper has already carried articles about our solidarity work in Britain.
We met journalists from the UJC's national newspaper Juventud Rebelde (Rebel Youth). The paper's editor, Rogelio Polanco, is coming to Britain in February next year for an RCG/RATB speaking tour.
...with organisations from Venezuela to Palestine, Sri Lanka to Mexico standing
together with the Cuban masses...
The Social Workers are young Cubans at the head of the fight against corruption.
They came out in their tens of thousands in Havana.
For both weeks our guides were comrades from the Union of Young Communists (UJC), an extremely important organisation for Cuban youth and with whom we have made strong links over the last 12 years.
We met and had discussions daily with the UJC comrades in Caimito and their political level was extremely high,
helping us to better understand Cuban society.
Also in Havana city the brigade visited a hospital of the Operation Miracle programme which has helped bring important eye operations for free to tens of thousands of poor people in Latin America. Later in the week we had a meeting at the Finlay Institute, one of the centres for the study and production of vaccines. Around the world millions of people die of preventable diseases, but Cuba is showing that an alternative is possible.
Children are the future leaders of the Cuban revolution, and so even in the worst years of the US blockade education has remained a priority for Cuban socialism.
At a polyclinic we saw the famous Cuban health care system at work. While in imperialist Britain, Labour is systematically destroying the right to free treatment, in socialist Cuba the health of the people is extremely important.
|