Protest hits US sanctions on Cuba, Iran, NKorea, Venezuela

By Seth Galinsky
May 11, 2020
Venezuela Solidarity Coalition of Western Massachusetts

Protesters organized a car caravan April 20 in Northampton, Massachusetts, demanding the U.S. government end punitive sanctions against Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea and Iran. The action was organized by the Latin America Solidarity Coalition of Western Massachusetts.

Washington has stepped up its economic and financial sanctions against peoples and governments the capitalist rulers disagree with — especially targeting Cuba and Venezuela, which provides needed oil to Cuba. Its longstanding goal is to bring down both governments.

Because of Washington’s far-reaching financial and trade restrictions, Cuba and Venezuela find themselves unable to obtain medicine, medical devices and other resources that could help strengthen health care.

The U.S. economic war also means that many medicines and treatments created in Cuba — whose health system reflects the values of the socialist revolution made by workers and peasants there — are not available in the U.S. This includes Interferon Alfa 2b and several other drugs that have been proven to aid patients in Cuba and numerous other countries resisting COVID-19.