BY ERNIE MAILHOT
MIAMI - More than 125 people packed the newly decorated headquarters of the Alliance of Workers of the Cuban Community (ATC) December 13. The occasion was the 20th anniversary of the founding of the organization and its two decades of work in opposition to the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba. This work has included helping Cuban-Americans travel to Cuba to visit their families, collecting material aid, and organizing and participating in protests of the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

The most notable new decoration at the office was actually a new sign above the front entrance, with ATC in big bold letters and the name spelled out in Spanish. At the back of the meeting hall a large banner in Spanish read, "Long live the 40th anniversary of the revolution and 20 years of the ATC."

Andrés Gómez, the head of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, a group of Cuban-Americans in Miami who support the Cuban revolution, gave the main presentation. He explained that the first two conferences of Cubans on the island and living abroad, mainly in the United States, were held in Cuba 20 years ago, in 1978. It was out of this dialogue that the idea to found the ATC developed. Gómez went on to give a brief history of the demonstrations and other activities that the ATC and other anti- embargo groups have carried out in Miami over the years, including those that were attacked by rightists.

Many in the audience showed their pride in having been part of these demonstrations, and some interrupted the speaker with anecdotes about the actions. In referring to those picket lines and other protests of Washington's policies towards Cuba Gómez stated to applause, "The fact that we are together here today comes out of the fact that we can take to the streets.... The politics of war against Cuba continues and the possibility of changing it continues too."

Walfrido Moreno, the president of the ATC, also addressed the meeting, pledging an ongoing fight to defend the Cuban revolution. Greetings were given to the meeting from Cachita Moré of the Afro-Cuban cultural group RECUACU; Ernie Mailhot, from the Socialist Workers Party; and Xiamora Almaguer from Jewish Solidarity and the Cuban-American Defense League. Members of the Miami Coalition to End the U.S. Embargo of Cuba were also in attendance, as were a number of other individuals. A message of congratulations to the ATC from the Cuban Institute of Friendship among Peoples (ICAP) was read to the meeting.

Ernie Mailhot is a member of the International Association of Machinists Local 1126 in Miami.  
 
 
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