Cuban band strikes chord with Sydney audiences

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One of the highlights of the solidarity action with Ark Tribe in Sydney last Friday was the performance of a Cuban band and local dancer. They performed for construction industry workers and supporters at the beginning of the rally. The Group, JJ Son con Idalbelis, is renowned for its Son and Salsa music. It was brought to Australia by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) to build solidarity with the Cuban revolution. The group is on tour from October 19 to December 11 in Sydney and Canberra.

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The tour also has the specific aims of building opposition to the US’s illegal blockade of the small socialist state and to increase awareness of the campaign for the release of the Cuban Five. The Cuban Five are political prisoners in the US who were jailed for attempting to thwart terrorist attacks on Cuba. The real terrorist, Posada Carriles roams the streets of Miami a free man.

The director of the band, José Angel Garcia congratulated the CFMEU for organising the tour. “It’s a great opportunity, not just to be involved in a cultural event in Australia but to be able to participate in the international campaign against the US blockade and in support of the Cuban Five,” José told The Guardian. The group of professional musicians normally plays in the cultural centres of Santiago de Cuba.

“We feel great, the people have been very warm and receptive. In particular, we found their solidarity with Cuba, against the US blockade and for the freedom of the Cuban Five as something unexpected in a country so far away,” José said.

The band will be performing on building sites, the waterfront and in other workplaces. A number of municipal councils are organising performances. The group performed last week at Strathfield Plaza in Sydney and has given two concerts at the Marconi Club in Sydney to 800 people.

The various Cuban solidarity and friendship groups in Sydney have come together with the CFMEU for a big solidarity gig on November 20.

It is expected that 15,000 and 20,000 people will hear the band during its tour. “That’s going to get the message out to a lot of working people who’ve never heard of the Cuban Five before”, CFMEU state secretary Andrew Ferguson told The Guardian.

“When we return it will be with a great sense of solidarity from the people of Australia,” José said. He concluded by saying, “Thanks for your friendship and don’t forget our performance on Friday November 20 in Sydney.”

Under the Australian Federal Government’s building industry laws, first introduced under the Howard Government, Ark Tribe faces up to six months in prison for allegedly failing to attend a secret interrogation by the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

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Reprinted from The Guardian (Australia)

Blockade Includes Theft of Cuban Trademarks

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The United States has once again been subpoenaed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) for not complying with the recommendation set forth by their dispute panel over a trade alteration with Cuba.

The European Community, India, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Angola and Argentina all supported Cuba’s concerns regarding the case of Washington’s Section 211, reported Prensa Latina.

Section 211 of the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act adopted by the US Congress has become a clear extension of the US blockade against Cuba, said Cuban Ambassador in Geneva Rodolfo Reyes, during the debates.

The complaint against Section 211 was brought by the European Union on behalf of the French spirits group Pernod Ricard, which is trying to win back ownership of the US trademark for Havana Club from its Bermuda-based competitor, Bacardi Co.

Rodolfo Reyes said that the theft of well-known Cuban trademarks like Havana Club rum has serious commercial implications. He said that Havana Club’s sales around the world are steadily increasing and are currently sold in 124 countries.

“This trademark was misappropriated by the United States by Bacardi. By allowing Bacardi to market rum using this trademark, US authorities have encouraged some of the most disloyal practices in international trade,” said Rodolfo Reyes.

Juventud Rebelde

Nothing Succeeds Like Failure

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The Cuban Embargo

By SAUL LANDAU

The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to end the US Economic, Financial and Commercial Embargo of Cuba. The Cubans claim the embargo cost them over $242 million in 2008 alone. The embargo, Cuba claims, makes foreign capital unavailable because investors face possible sanctions for doing business with Cuba.

Public opinion polls – elite business opinion agrees – show a majority favor dropping the embargo and travel ban. Instead of scrapping it, however, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton cling to their inheritance, in policy terms equivalent to scientists insisting the world is flat.

Nothing succeeds like failure in imperial Washington. George W. Bush exemplified failure in school and business. As Texas Governor, he presided over more executions than any previous governor. As President, he became a cruel joke – on the world. He praised Chief Michael Brown --“You’re doing a heck of a job Brownie” -- after Brownie’s agency failed to respond to – or even know about -- Hurricane Katrina. He insisted on nonexistent WMD and links to Al-Qaida that “justified” his invasion of Iraq. He pissed away America’s surplus through neglect and his deregulation policies cost the economy and the world’s environmental struggle dearly. Bush’s disasters lasted for eight years.

Washington’s failed Cuba policy has endured for 49. “Give it time,” say its proponents.

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Read the rest from Counterpunch

MEDIA RELEASE: New Zealand Cuba Friendship Societies

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U.N.G.A. Resolution on Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba

New Zealand Cuba Friendship Societies applaud the stand taken by 187 principled countries in condemning the United States blockade of Cuba in the United Nations General Assembly for the 18th consecutive year.

This year’s vote of 187 to 3 against and 2 abstentions follows hard on the heels of more than 15 United Nations agencies reporting that the illegal and immoral blockade increases their costs and undermines international co-operation, and Amnesty International reporting that in restricting the direct import of medicine, medical equipment and supplies and imposing similar restrictions on companies operating in third countries, the U.S. is acting contrary to the Charter of the United Nations.

In the light of almost universal condemnation both inside and out of the General Assembly, we therefore demand that President Obama take immediate steps to end the blockade by exercising his presidential prerogative and:

...1. Remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism such that full bilateral trade and other links between the U.S. and Cuba are possible;

...2. Issue a Presidential Proclamation stating the Termination of the Exercise of Authorities Under the Trading With the Enemy Act With Respect to Cuba; and

...3. Instruct the U.S. Treasury Department and other relevant agencies enforcing export and travel restrictions to Cuba to:
........i) allow companies and entities trading with Cuba immediate and unrestricted access to the U.S. market and financial institutions, and
........ii) ensure that exports and transfers of materials, equipment and other resources, and travel can be achieved without impediment.

We also demand that the US Congress enact new legislation during the session convened on 16 January 2009, repealing the Cuban Democracy Act 1992 and the Cuba Liberty and Solidarity (Libertad) Act 1996 by adopting the following bills already introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate:

1. Promoting American Agricultural and Medical Exports to Cuba Act , ( [S.1089] & [H.R. 1531])

2. Cuba Reconciliation Act [H.R. 188]

3. United States-Cuba Trade Normalization Act [H.R. 2272]

4. Free Trade with Cuba Act [H.R. 1530] and

5. Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act [S. 428] & [H.R. 874])

We further consider that the first step to improving relations between the U.S. and Cuba such that the above measures can implemented is for President Obama to immediately release Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, René González, and Fernando González, the five Cubans jailed in the U.S. for fighting U.S.-based terrorist attacks against their country.

> Speech by Mr. Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuban Minister for Foreign Affairs at United Nations General Assembly October 28, 2009.

Solidarity Without Frontiers

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- A top health official on Nevis described the response to the first of weekly Cuban eye care specialist’s clinics at the Alexandra Hospital last week as overwhelming.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in the Nevis Island Administration Joslyn Liburd, told the Department of Information on Friday, that the first clinics held by Ophthalmologist Dr Francisco Nunez and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Cruz Mendez had seen a combined total of 29 patients.

Twenty five persons turned came to see the Ophthalmologist but three had already had appointments with the existing eye care programme coming in two weeks and 11 persons came for the Orthopaedic clinic,” she said.

Liburd also announced that Dr Mendez was satisfied with the available equipment at the Hospital and after the first clinic had one patient scheduled for surgery.

The Health Official also noted that the Eye Doctor had made arrangements with Dr Ashley Frank of the Nevis Optical Eye Clinic in Charlestown for patients who required glasses to correct their vision.

Read the story
Source Caribbean Net News

More info: Cuba; the making of a medical superpower

Miami Justice – When a Deal is No Deal

On Tuesday 13 October in Miami, Federal Judge Joan Lenard imposed a sentence of 21 years and 10 months, plus five years probation, on Antonio Guerrero, one of five Cubans unjustly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage in 2001.

Clearly still smarting from the Appeals Court throwing out her earlier sentences on the grounds they were manifestly excessive, and ordering the resentencing of three of the Five, Judge Lenard ignored the agreement reached between Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Heck Miller and Guerrero’s lawyers, who had settled on 20 years.

Antonio Guerrero

Guerrero attorney Leonard Weinglass said after the hearing, "When you approach the United States government in good faith and all seriousness, you would expect a federal judge would honor that."

Unfortunately, this judge continues to demonstrate that all she honours is upholding the discriminatory and racist predilections of the Miami mafia, and their terrorist acts.

As the United States Committee to Free the Cuban Five stated in their Wednesday press release, since the 1959 Cuban Revolution terrorist attacks launched from Miami have caused the deaths of 3,478 Cuban men, women and children, and injured 2,099.

“In the interest of defending its people - as any other responsible government would do - the government of Cuba assigned to the Five the task of infiltrating the terrorist organizations of the Cuban American extreme right wing...Stopping terrorism was the mission of the Cuban Five,” they wrote.

Judge Lenard consistently refused to move the trial to a venue uncontaminated by anti-Castro sentiment, refused defence lawyers access to 80% of the alleged evidence, presided over numerous abuses of the trial process, and handed down such exaggerated sentences that even her own peers and superiors rejected them.

Like a dog in a manger, she has now over-ridden the deal made by U.S. prosecutors, and imposed on Guerrero a longer sentence than that agreed to, ensuring no doubt about who is calling the tune.

Weinglass hopes the last verse of the song of justice is yet to be sung - he plans to appeal Guerrero's conviction next year on constitutional grounds.

By Julie Webb-Pullman

Declaration of the U.S. Movement in Solidarity with the Cuban Five to the rest of the International Movement for the Freedom of the Cuban Five.

33rd anniversary of the Cubana plane sabotage

CUBA DEMANDS JUSTICE
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ANTI-CUBA terrorism organized and financed in the United States on this date 33 years ago took its worst form when 73 people lost their lives in the sabotage of a Cuban airliner over Barbados.

Since then, every October 6th has been a motive for pain in this country, but also of constantly speaking out against the masterminds of that enormous crime, for them to pay for their deeds, because with the protection of the U.S. government, they are at liberty on the streets of that northern nation.

Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carrilles were the ones responsible for the terrible act, and true justice has yet to be done, given the double standards applied by successive U.S. administrations that claim to be anti-terrorist.

Those in the world who know about this case also express their indignation, and together with the Cuban people, they demand punishment for the terrorists, who have been participants in other blood-soaked crimes.

As an example of the outrageous U.S. attitude, those terrorists remain free while five Cubans have been imprisoned for more than 11 years for defending their country from such criminal acts.

Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González, Ramón Labañino and René González were protecting us from individuals like Posada, several middle-school students told the Prensa Latina news agency.

These young people, together with others of their generation from all over Cuba, will speak out today, Tuesday, at their schools to once again condemn that crime and once again demand justice.

(PL)