Reuters news agency reported that "officials said more than one million people, mostly wearing red T-shirts and waving Cuban flags, marched by the U.S. mission on Wednesday shouting slogans against the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.

"’Long live socialism, down with the lies,’ the crowd shouted at the bunker-like building," Reuters reported. Teresita Afefet, a worker who cycled five miles to the waterfront demonstration with her husband told the news agency that an "immense majority of Cubans support Fidel [Castro] and the revolution. It’s voluntary. We are here of our own will."

Juan Antonio González, who works in the tourism industry, said: "We are here to tell Bush to stop interfering in Cuba. Leave us alone."

Cuban president Fidel Castro urged a full turnout for the marches in an address two days before the actions to a meeting of representatives of the country’s trade union federation, farmers groups, and other mass organizations. Schools and work places were closed June 12 in order to assure the largest possible participation.

The mobilizations come in the midst of a tightening economic situation in Cuba, whose economy has been hit over the last year by a severe hurricane, the collapse of the price of sugar on the world market, a cutoff of oil from Venezuela, and a 14 percent decline in visits to the country by tourists, a major source of hard currency and employment.

In response, the revolutionary government in Cuba has cut prices on some basic goods, and raised the cost of many items available in dollar stores. This both softens the impact of the economic difficulties for many working people and places a tax on the middle class in Cuba. This layer has grown in numbers and ambition in recent years as a result of measures adopted by the government, including legalizing the dollar and opening joint ventures in order to attract foreign capital necessary for development of industries such as tourism and oil exploration.

On June 19 the Wall Street Journal reported that Ulises Rosales del Toro, head of the Sugar Ministry in Cuba, confirmed the government’s decision to close sugar mills in the country. The ministry is planning to shut down 50 percent of the mills, most of which are 50 years old and inefficient. Land dedicated to raw-sugar production will also be cut by up to 60 percent.

"We have the capacity to produce 10 million tons of raw sugar per year but have been producing an average of 4 million tons," said Rosales at a news conference in Havana, according to the Journal. There are 400,000 workers currently employed in the sugar industry.

As for the suspension of oil shipments from Venezuela, begun under the brief administration of the leaders of the failed coup against President Hugo Chávez, a recent article in the Cuban newspaper Granma reported the loss has "caused grave damage to our country." Cuba had been receiving more than 50,000 barrels a day from Venezuela, about one-third of its needs. The article said the Cuban government has already spent "dozens of millions of dollars more than planned" on the spot market to make up for oil not received and has dipped into the country’s own petroleum reserves.

In addition to the marches, millions of Cubans have put their signature to the constitutional referendum in the subsequent days. Granma reported June 18 that up to 8 million people have signed in support of the measure.

The June 12 marches and signature campaign were an answer to recent charges by Bush administration officials, as well as former U.S. president James Carter, who visited Cuba in May.

On May 20 Bush affirmed Washington’s bipartisan embargo against Cuba and declared that normalization with Havana, "diplomatic recognition, and open trade and a robust aid program will only be possible when Cuba has a new government that is fully democratic."

The speech came after Richard Bolton, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control, accused the Cuban government of pursuing "at least a limited offensive biological warfare research development effort" and of providing "dual-use biotechnology to other rogue states." Administration officials later stated they had no proof Cuba possessed or is developing chemical or biological weapons.

Bolton’s speech came on the eve of Carter’s visit to Cuba, where he advanced Washington’s slander campaign in a nationally televised speech at the University of Havana. "People are not allowed to organize any opposition movements," he declared, while praising a petition drive called the Varela Project.

The effort, backed by the U.S. government, has garnered a total of 11,200 signatures. The petition calls for a national referendum on the country’s electoral system, for approval of an amnesty of prisoners jailed for committing criminal acts against the revolution, and for the right to own private businesses.

During his tour to Cuba, which was hosted by the Cuban government, Carter also said that "almost every country in the Americas is a democracy," and arrogantly demanded Cuba "meet universally accepted standards in civil liberties."  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home