 “Reclaim the
Republic / Athshealbhaígí an Phoblacht” campaign reaches Cuba
By Cormac
Ryan, éirígí PRO
Over
the course of the summer, a number of éirígí activists visited the island of
Cuba. These activists travelled there to take part in the Jose Marti
European International Work Brigade which travels to Cuba each year to work
in solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.
 The brigade was situated at the Campamento Internacional Julio Antonio Mella, a short distance outside
Havana. The solidarity work took the form of both agricultural and
construction work
As part of the camp’s programme, many groups and individuals came to give
talks and presentations to brigadistas from the various European countries
represented. These visits allowed the éirígí members the opportunity to
present Spanish language versions of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic
to the families of the Miami 5, veterans of the revolutionary war, members
of the Cuban Olympic Team, representatives of student & youth groups, the
Union of Young Communists, and reporters from Granma Newspaper etc.
Copies of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic were also circulated
amongst individuals and members of political parties from a wide range of
European countries. Brigadistas from Greece, Finland, Italy, Portugal, The
Netherlands, France, Scotland and England were amongst those who received a
copy of the Proclamation along with the many Cubans who received copies
translated into Spanish. The response to this distribution was universally
positive and met with a great deal of interest. International brigadistas,
and Cubans alike, understood the revolutionary importance of the document.
In Cuba, the revolution is ongoing; it is not simply an event which took
place at a specific point in history, but rather a day-to-day struggle for
the advancement of humanity, as relevant and important today as it was five
decades ago. The 150,000 people that gathered in Bayamo to celebrate on July
26th bear witness to the continuing appeal that the revolution continues to
hold for the people of Cuba.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: Economic Priorities
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, 85% of Cuba’s foreign trade
collapsed with it.
Added
to this, supplies of fuel, raw materials, food and machinery literally
disappeared over-night. In view of this economic turmoil, and the continued
blockade of Cuba by the United States, few believed that Cuba could survive
without the economic support of the Soviet Union.
 Yet, fifteen years later,
the Cuban revolution remains on its socialist path and continues to be a
beacon of hope to oppressed people around the world.
The fact that Cuba still continues to confound its critics by its economic
survival, and gradual regeneration, is the greatest testimony to the
revolutionary fighting spirit and determination of the Cuban people. In
fact, in the process of meeting the challenges of the economic crisis, the
Cuban revolution displayed the true humanity which lies at the heart of
socialist philosophy. The priority of the revolution is the well-being of
the people and the advancement of humanity as a whole. This is proven by the
fact that, in the midst of economic crisis, not a single health care centre,
school, day-care centre, university or sports facility was closed down. This
is a phenomenal statistic, especially when viewed in light of the quality of
provision of these facilities in Ireland. It shows what can be achieved when
a society’s values are defined by the principles of co-operation, unity, and
communal wealth, rather than a society driven by a parasitic individualism
where success is defined by the amassment of personal fortune at the expense
of others.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: Internationalism
The plaque on the wall on Calle O’Reilly in old Havana reads in Irish,
Spanish and English: “Two island nations in the same sea of hope and
struggle, Cuba and Ireland”. No nation better understands and appreciates
the importance of the struggle against imperialism than Cuba. In this
struggle, the two nations of Ireland and Cuba share a common bond of
comradeship.
 The
appreciation of this common bond of comradeship was re-affirmed following a
visit to the monument dedicated to the H-Block Martyrs, situated in Havana.
The monument had sustained considerable storm damage which had resulted in
the marble on one side becoming detached and shattering into pieces. éirígí
member, Daithí Mac An Mháistir, contacted the government department in
charge of parks and monuments to make them aware of the damage to the
monument. Within a week the area around the monument had been tidied-up, the
bushes surrounding the monument had been cut back, the monument itself was
totally repaired and a wreath was laid on behalf of the Cuban government.
The respectful and dedicated approach displayed is a reflection of the
spirit of the Cuban Revolution and its attitude towards internationalism in
struggle.
Indeed, over the years, the Cuban contribution to international socialism
has been enormous. This contribution has taken on many forms. When needed,
Cubans sent military support to Angola in order to confront the fascist
forces of the South African Apartheid regime. Cuba has sent, and continues
to send, thousands of volunteer doctors to impoverished areas of Latin
America, the Caribbean and Africa. In fact, in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina, when the U.S. administration failed its own citizens, Cuba offered
to send 1,600 doctors and medical aid to the disaster area. Along with this
international aid, thousands of students from impoverished areas around the
globe receive medical training, free of charge, at universities in Cuba.
This demonstrates the spirit of co-operation and shared struggle which
pervades the Cuban revolution in its application of socialist principles,
both in Cuba and internationally.
The Socialist Revolution in Cuba: United States Aggression
For nearly five decades, Cuba has had to endure and rebuff an undeclared war
which has been waged against it by the United States and their
intermediaries. This undeclared war has taken on many forms including
state-sponsored terrorism, full-scale military assault, overt and covert
interference with the internal affairs of Cuba, and a blockade which has
lasted, and has become increasingly restrictive, for nearly fifty years. The
actions of the United-States and their CIA-trained surrogates have claimed
the lives of thousands of Cuban citizens, and have resulted in the injury
and permanent disfiguration of thousands more.
The hypocrisy which lies at the heart of U.S. led “War on Terror” is the
same hypocrisy which has shaped U.S. policy towards Cuba over the last five
decades. In fact their imperialist interference in Cuba’s affairs stretches
back to their intervention in the Cuban-Spanish War. The hypocrisy of the
U.S. in their dealings with Cuba has never been more blatant than in the
case of the Miami 5. These five men had been monitoring the activities of
groups, based in Miami, who were planning,
 and had previously carried out,
terrorist acts against Cuba. The U.S. administration has rewarded these men,
for their actions against terrorism, with imprisonment.
In the course of their counter-terrorist activities, Cuban intelligence
compiled a large portfolio of information relating to the groups based in
Miami. In an act of good faith, and believing that the information would be
acted on, the Cuban authorities shared this information with the FBI.
However, rather than acting against the Miami based groups, the U.S.
authorities arrested the Miami 5 on 12th September, 1998, and accused them
of plotting against the United States. The trial which followed has been
described by U.S. civil rights lawyer, Leonard Weinglass, as a “violation”
from start to finish. The verdicts resulted in the five being sentenced to
serve a total of three life sentences plus sixty-eight years. The ongoing
ordeal endured by the men and their families has been exacerbated by a
litany of human rights violations, perpetrated by the U.S. authorities.
What Now for the Cuban Revolution?
The Cubans are the first to admit that the revolution is not without its
faults. They are comfortable in admitting that they can, and will, make
improvements and are constantly challenging themselves to accelerate the
revolutionary process. It must always be remembered that this revolutionary
process has been carried out under the most severe conditions which
imperialism has created in its attempt to halt the development of socialism.
In the dark days of 1981, when ten Irishmen gave their lives on
hunger-strike, Fidel Castro courageously spoke out in condemnation of the
wrongs committed by British imperialism against Ireland. Whilst giving the
opening speech at the 68th conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, he
addressed the subject of the hunger-strike and concluded by saying that “It
is high time for the world community to put an end to this repulsive
atrocity through denunciation and pressure!”.
Twenty-five years later, this call needs to be echoed by the world community
in condemning the imperialist atrocities committed against the people of
Cuba and oppressed people all over the world. The people of Ireland have a
role to play in opposing the continued aggression being directed towards
Cuba by the United States and their allies in Europe. By speaking out
against these injustices, people across the world are not only standing in
solidarity with the Cuban people; they are expressing solidarity with all
victims of the imperialist system which only serves to perpetuate the cycle
of war, racism, economic injustice and exploitation of the masses for the
benefit of the few.
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