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BAYAN-USA solidarity with Cuba, Cuban 5

Published Jun 18, 2007 12:08 AM

Yancy Mark Gandionco
WW photo: G. Dunkel

Following excerpts are from a statement made by Yancy Mark Gandionco from BAYAN-USA Queers at the June 2 Rainbow Solidarity for the Cuban Five meeting at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City.

In a world now undergoing unprecedented political and economic crisis, Cuba has an economy that has not stagnated. When its neighboring countries in Latin America are plunged into poverty and hunger, the growth in Cuba, even measured in exact gross domestic product, is greater by a four to one ratio than the average growth in Latin America, according to the Economic Affairs Commission of the Cuban government.

Today, hundreds of thousands of peasants now own and till the land that was the property of the foreign companies and local elite.

But most important, the revolution gave the Cuban people the ownership of the Cuban nation. The foreign companies and the ruling elite no longer own these properties. Neither the international financial institutions, nor foreign capital, can dictate the vision and destiny of this tiny but great country.

From 344 doctors before [the Cuban revolution] to 10,300 today, from 46 health units to 4006 today, from 1,470 hospital beds to 12,000 today, 1,682 teachers to 7,479, no university to 12 now, from 40.3 percent illiteracy rate to 0.2 percent, lowest incidence of AIDS and free medical service for children.

This is a stark contrast to the Philippines, where social services such as health care and education for the Filipino people have practically been eliminated in favor of payment of onerous loans by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

These numbers and conditions reveal the triumph of the Cuban revolution over the past situation when its people were exploited by foreign companies, big landlords and corrupt bureaucrats in government. And it is these conditions and numbers that the U.S. government fears, for they undermine the system that it is trying to promote and protect.

The imperialist U.S. is so threatened by these conditions that it is doing everything in its power to preserve itself. The imprisonment of Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, René González, Antonio Guerrero and Gerardo Hernández is an example of the desperate and absurd measures that the U.S. government has taken.

These five Cubans are convicted on charges of espionage conspiracy. Yet clearly no espionage evidence was ever introduced.

This is similar to the Philippines, where the government accused and charged genuine and progressive parliamentarians representing the basic sector—the peasants and the workers—with sedition and rebellion charges. They are Ka Satur Ocampo and Ka Crispen “Bel” Beltran. These charges served to instill fear in the people. Fortunately enough the Philippine government’s plan backfired and created a unified and consistent campaign to free these leaders. And just a few days ago, all charges against them were dismissed and Ka “Bel” was finally released after a two-year detention.

“Preemptive strike” is what America has always wanted to do to Cuba since the failed Bay of Pigs invasion four decades ago. “Regime change” is what America has always wanted to do to the sovereign government of Cuba led by Fidel Castro. Total economic subversion is what America has always been doing to the island-state of Cuba in a desperate attempt to cause the collapse of the Cuban economy.

Like in Iraq, America will not find in Cuba “weapons of mass destruction” to justify their illegal action. What they do find in Cuba is the most powerful weapon of all— the weapon of mass resistance!

Bayan-USA Queers urges the people and leaders of Cuba to relentlessly continue with their chosen path of maintaining and enhancing a system that puts the interest of its workers, peasants and other sectors above the personal and ambitious interests of a private individual and the violent greed and aggression of U.S. imperialism. And we condemn the state-sponsored terrorist activities the U.S. government is supporting and promoting against Cuba and other nations. We demand that the Cuban Five be freed.