Yale forum discusses Cuba and U.S. embargo
(front page)
BY MARTÍN KOPPEL
NEW HAVEN, Connecticut--"Cuba's history has been the history of our struggle for independence," stated Fernando Remírez, chief of the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, at a September 23 regional community forum held at Yale University.
This struggle by the Cuban people, Remírez said, led to the triumph of the revolution in 1959 and "a social and political transformation of major proportions." Since then, Cuba has successfully stood up to four decades of Washington's hostility, which, he explained, began even before Cuba's working people carried out a socialist revolution. Nine U.S. administrations have come and gone. All have carried out a policy of economic warfare against the Caribbean nation, he noted.
The day-long forum, on "Ending the Cold War Against Cuba," attracted a diverse range of participants, 160 in all. It was hosted by the Council on Latin American and Iberian Studies as well as other groups at Yale. Sponsors included the Greater Hartford Coalition on Cuba, the Connecticut Coalition on Cuba, American Friends Service Committee, the community group Mothers for Justice, the City of New Haven Peace Commission, and the Amistad Committee, among others.
About a third of those attending the gathering were students. They came from several New England campuses including Yale, University of Connecticut, Wesleyan, Brown, and Salem State. Some were participating to find out for the first time some facts about the Cuban revolution and Washington's policy of aggression against it. Several students, attracted to achievements of the Cuban revolution, such as eradicating institutionalized racism and achieving impressive levels of education and health care in Latin America, said they were preparing papers at school on these subjects. Others were already involved in political activity, including efforts to force changes in U.S. policy aimed at destroying the Cuban revolution. Young socialists from cities around the region participated in the discussion and organizing activity.
Activists who are part of local coalitions or organizations in solidarity with Cuba came from Boston, across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Also participating were a number of Cuban-Americans, who expressed differing political viewpoints. Some who took part in the discussion, while opposed to the U.S. embargo, were critical of various Cuban government policies and were interested in an exchange of views with others present.
In his presentation Remírez outlined the brutal economic and social impact of the U.S. economic war on Cuba, as well as the steps the revolutionary government has taken to confront and begin recovering from the economic crisis that resulted from the abrupt collapse in the early 1990s of aid and favorable trade relations with the Soviet regime.
He emphasized that Cuba's government is willing to negotiate to achieve an end to the U.S. embargo and normalize relations with Washington. "Our only condition is respect for our freedom, dignity, and independence," he said. The Cuban representative added, "We want to keep our social system, which benefits the majority of our population."
Joan Brown Campbell, former general secretary of the National Council of Churches, also gave a feature presentation. She spoke about her participation in the events earlier this year surrounding Cuba's eventually successful fight to gain the return of six-year-old Elián González.
Mary-Alice Waters, president of Pathfinder Press, spoke on "The Historical Perspective: The U.S. Cold War on Cuba" (see text of presentation on page 8).
All three presentations were followed by lively discussion periods, marked by the expression of counterposed views, an interest in untangling Washington's decades-long rationalizations for its aggression against Cuba, and a desire to gain some understanding of the Cuban revolution from the Cuban and other speakers present.
Two panel discussions featured presentations or statements by a diverse range of participants. Gabriel Camacho, president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), spoke about his visit to Cuba as part of a fact-finding trip sponsored by several LCLAA chapters.
Democratic senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut sent a statement, excerpts of which were read to the meeting. Dodd argued for amending the U.S. embargo against Cuba to allow sales of food and medicine, and travel by U.S. residents to visit the island. He also called for pressing Cuba to open its people and resources to direct exploitation by U.S. capital again by authorizing U.S. corporations to invest in Cuba if the revolutionary government allows "U.S. companies to hire workers directly and operate the workplace consistent with American practices."
John Olson, president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO Council, was the speaker who expressed the strongest support of U.S. government attempts to overturn the revolutionary regime. He read from the AFL-CIO's official statement favoring an end to the embargo on the sale of food and medical supplies to Cuba. Olson charged the revolutionary government with creating "two classes of workers in Cuba," those who have access to U.S. dollars and those who do not. Like Dodd, he objected to the fact that foreign capitalist corporations investing in businesses on the island cannot hire Cuban workers directly and pay them in dollars.
An afternoon panel included Gisela Arandia, a research associate at the University of Havana, who spoke on "Race, Gender, and Culture in Cuba." Steven Thornton, an organizer for New England Health Care Employees Union Local 1199, described the health-care system created by the revolution. Canadian writer Arnold August, author of Democracy in Cuba, described the 1997 elections in Cuba. Aviva Chomsky, a professor at Salem State College in Massachusetts, spoke on "Education Exchanges and Freedom to Travel."
Central to the goals of the sponsors of the event was discussing and planning for future activities to educate and organize opposition to U.S. policies. The Hartford Coalition on Cuba initiated discussion on an action plan during two conference sessions. The World Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity, to be held in Havana November 10-14, and a possible speaking tour next spring of Cuban youth leaders on U.S. campuses both received special attention. The conference offered one of the largest recent gatherings in the region to meet others interested in organizing such activities, and discussions on these and other activities continued during breaks.
Participants browsed through several literature displays, including Pathfinder books and pamphlets, newspapers and handouts of the Communist Party USA, and informational literature of the July 26 Coalition in Boston. Nearly $400 in Pathfinder literature was sold during the day, as participants came and went, with titles on the Cuban revolution the most popular.
The political discussions at the conference continued well into the evening, as close to 100 participants joined in several cultural events that concluded with a showing of two films, Strawberry and Chocolate and I Am Cuba. Musical performances included folk singers Charlie King and Karen Brandow, as well as Baba David Coleman, who mixed a performance of Afro-Cuban drumming with an explanation of the roots and contributions of the music from Cuba. A master at audience participation, he culminated his performance by getting nearly the entire audience up clapping, singing, and playing conga drums, cowbells, shakers, gourds, and other percussion instruments. It was a fitting end to the day's events.
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