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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the April 4, 1996
issue of Workers World newspaper
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The Wayside Chapel of Peace and Friendship has begun to move its "Fast for Life" to Washington after 30 days at the San Ysidro border crossing to Mexico.
The group still has no response from Clinton administration officials regarding 400 confiscated medical computers the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization and Pastors for Peace tried to take to Cuba to break the U.S. blockade of that country.
The computers were donated by churches, unions, schools and others to assist Cuba's Infomed program-a regional computer network linking schools, hospitals and doctors' offices around Cuba. In February, IFCO/Pastors for Peace were delivering the computers on their fifth caravan of humanitarian aid to Cuba. When the U.S. Customs Service seized the computers, the group began the "Fast for Life" to protest.
The Fasters for Life now will travel by caravan-starting from Chicago and Birmingham, Ala.-with visits to other fasters and companion vigils in 10 different cities. News conferences and public events are planned along the way.
"We want to make sure this issue becomes a part of national discourse during this election year," said the Rev. Lucius Walker Jr., executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace.
"We move to D.C. with new strength, with optimism, with positive momentum, and with growing public support," he said.
On March 22, Fast for Life sympathizers held protests at federal buildings around the country to support the five hunger strikers near the Mexican border at San Ysidro.
In San Diego, demonstrators performed street theater, with people dressed as computers pushing through lines of police until they got through. On that action, Walker, who is fasting, pointed out that Cuba's social system-socialism- has allowed that country to maintain health care for the population despite all the hardships caused by the 35-year blockade.
Only two of the hunger strikers were strong enough to demonstrate. Lisa Valanti, one of the fasters, wore a heavy coat since the lack of food makes it harder to keep up body heat. Another, Seya Sangari, had collapsed a day before. Sangari refused to be hospitalized, staying with the other fasters at the San Ysidro border crossing.
The other two fasters are Brian Rohatyn and Jim Clifford. Sixteen days after it started, David Welsh also joined the fast in solidarity, but stayed in San Francisco.
Pastors for Peace announced the hunger strike's first victory March 22. The Norwegian government is sending 400 brand new computers to Cuba for their medical system to replace the computers the U.S. government seized from the caravan.
In San Diego, Workers World Party vice presidential candidate Gloria La Riva spoke at the protest to passers-by to explain why five people would fast for 31 days. "Cuba is a country that has been blockaded for 35 years. And yet two weeks ago, they sent 200 medical doctors to the poorest parts of South Africa, allowing surgeries to be performed for the first time in years.
"This is the kind of humanitarianism and international solidarity that has inspired our five brothers and sisters to go on hunger strike to help Cuba's health care."
The International Longshore & Warehouse Union sent a letter to President Clinton March 21 protesting the government's seizure of the 400 medical computers.
The letter, signed by ILWU President Brian McWilliams, read in part: "We wholeheartedly support [the fasters'] efforts and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them to draw public attention to this grave injustice. The ILWU has long opposed the U.S. embargo of Cuba, and we believe that the administration's support of the Helms-Burton [law] and the concomitant capitulation to right-wing fanatics has escalated hostilities into the danger zone."
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(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted if source is cited. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: ww@wwpublish.com. For subscription info send message to: ww-info@wwpublish.com. Web: http://www.workers.org)