The world knows this, and every day, from different parts of the world, people demand its end. Washington's economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba is a criminal and genocidal way of besieging a sovereign nation.
With this in mind, the city council of Turin, Italy, approved a resolution condemning the blockade and demanding the implementation of concrete aid projects for the people of the Caribbean nation, Prensa Latina reported.
The initiative, presented by councilors Claudio Cerrato and Maria Grazia Grippo of the Democratic Party (PD), denounces the serious effects of the pressure exerted by the U.S. government.
Hence, the document reflects the "concern about the consequences of the oil blockade imposed on Cuba," stemming from the Executive Order aimed at preventing fuel from entering the country, thus provoking an "energy and humanitarian crisis," the text states.
The Cuban people, the Resolution emphasizes, "are suffering the dramatic consequences of a prolonged economic, commercial, and financial blockade, recently intensified by these new restrictive measures, which have practically eliminated the oil supply." It further explains that "this energy shortage is paralyzing essential services, severely impacting food distribution, water supply, and, above all, the operation of health centers, placing the most vulnerable segments of the population at serious risk."
Consequently, the Turin City Council urged local authorities, in close collaboration with the Civil Protection Department and humanitarian organizations, "to assess the possibility of implementing concrete aid initiatives, such as the collection of medicines and basic necessities."
According to the information, the Italian government was also urged to reiterate, in all international forums, its opposition to the blockade, which affects the fundamental rights of the civilian population, and to promote instead the reestablishment of channels of cooperation. At the same time, a request was made to inform the Italian Parliament about the current situation in Cuba, "so that the gravity of the crisis can finally receive the necessary space in a transparent and in-depth institutional debate."
Finally, the document alludes to the solidarity that unites Turin with Cuba, emphasizing the contribution made in 2020 by members of the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade to the people of that Italian city during the most critical moments of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This initiative joins others promoted in Italy by various organizations, such as "Energy for Life," co-sponsored by the National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship, the ARCI Social Promotion Association, the Italian General Confederation of Labor and the National Association of Italian Partisans, and the "A Medicine for Cuba" campaign, promoted by the Base Trade Union (USB), one of the largest Italian trade unions, aimed at supporting public health in that nation.
ANTI-IMPERIALIST SOLIDARITY FROM MANILA TO HAVANA
Meanwhile, the lifting of the blockade was also demanded this Wednesday at an event at Ateneo University in the Philippines, as part of a call to action under the slogan "Anti-imperialist solidarity from Manila to Havana."
With the conviction of fighting for a humanitarian cause, students, members of the Philippines-Cuba Cultural and Friendship Association and the World Peace Council, and representatives from the Gender and Anti-Harassment Office of Diliman University and the Freedom from Debt coalition gathered.
The participants, Prensa Latina reported, expressed messages of support for the Cuban people and highlighted the example they set for the world, not only for their resilience, but also for their achievements in social justice and their international cooperation, particularly in the field of health.
On the Cuban side, via videoconference, Ambassador Yadira Ledesma explained how the country has withstood imperialist aggression and the most comprehensive and prolonged unilateral sanctions system ever imposed on an entire nation and its people for the past 67 years.
The event demonstrated, once again, that the island is not alone and has friends who, this time from Asia, raise their voices to exclaim, "Long live free Cuba!"
FROM OUR AMERICA, GRATITUDE
Voices of support for Cuba were also heard from Latin America, as news outlets reported a demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy in Chile. The demonstration aimed to reaffirm support for Cuba in the face of the difficult situation the Caribbean nation is experiencing as a consequence of the tightening of the blockade.
"Today we come to tell the United States that Cuba is not alone and that we will fight so that it can continue with its own project, defending its people," Councilor Dafne Concha told Prensa Latina. She asserted that Cuba is an island of peace and solidarity, which has sent doctors around the world to help save lives.
For her part, Amaya Candia, president of the International Medical Society of Graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), highlighted the more than 32,000 doctors from 122 countries who have graduated from that institution as "one of the most important achievements internationally."
She also condemned the campaigns against the Cuban medical brigades serving in various parts of the world.
The demonstration was organized by the Solidarity Movement, the Communist Party and Youth of Chile, the Popular Propaganda Brigade, ELAM-Chile, and the José Martí Institute of Culture, among other organizations.
