BY JANET ROTH AND AGNES SULLIVAN
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Maria Luisa Fernández, Cuba's Consul-General in Australia, made a public speaking tour of New Zealand for the first time at the end of August.

Despite cold weather and heavy rain, an attentive audience of 25 heard her speak at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch August 26. That same evening, 31 people attended a public meeting for Fernández. Public meetings were also held in Wellington and Auckland.

In her talks Fernández focused on the steps taken in Cuba to deal with the economic crisis precipitated by the collapse of its main trading partner, the Soviet Union -from the establishment of farmers cooperatives to allowing the use of the U.S. dollar. She emphasized the continuing impact of the embargo imposed by Washington against Cuba, estimating that the embargo had cost the Cuban economy $60 billion.

She pointed to the continuing priority placed on meeting the social needs of Cuba's working people despite these economic difficulties.

Fernández highlighted the major events that had taken place in Cuba last year, including the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the death of Che Guevara, the World Festival of Youth and Students, government elections, and the visit of the Pope.

She explained that opponents of the Cuban revolution thought the Pope's visit would have the impact it supposedly did in Poland -"a touch of his wand and we would change."

Instead, "our government had to explain to people why they should go to his masses, otherwise the same numbers wouldn't have attended.... Nothing changed ideologically."

The Pope, she added, raised many of the same themes he does in every country. People listened politely, then after he left "young people forgot his strictures against abortion and sexual relations outside of marriage."

She said Cubans felt it important that the Pope had opposed the U.S. embargo and encouraged countries to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Starting a talk at the Auckland Institute of Technology (AIT), Fernández stressed, "Cuba is a socialist state with free health care, free education, and freedom of religion."

At her two meetings in Auckland, questions ranged from why the U.S. government has tightened the embargo, how food is distributed, unemployment, child abuse, organization of education, and globalization, to relations with China.

Answering a question about young Cubans' attitudes to the revolution, Fernández commented, "For my granddaughter, the revolution is ancient history." She explained that special attention is given to the ongoing education of younger people, and in particular, "we let them know what's going on in the world, not just in Cuba."

Fernández condemned the U.S. rulers' bombing of Sudan and Afghanistan, which had occurred just prior to her tour.

At the Christchurch public meeting, Fernández was welcomed by Koa Saxby of the Coalition for Public Health, Christina Guerrero from the Latin American community, Susan Stewart of the Hotel and Hospital Workers Union, and civil libertarian and economist Wolfgang Rosenberg. In Auckland, a message was read from Alliance party Member of Parliament Matthew Robson.

The AIT student newspaper Debait ran a full-page article about Fernández's visit and a local Christchurch TV station broadcast an interview with her.

Janet Roth is a member of the Service and Food Workers Union.  
 
 
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