Solidarity With a Successful Socialist Vision
JOSEPH KELLY recently returned from a visit to Cuba as part of the XVI International May First Brigade of Voluntary Work and Solidarity with Cuba, breaking the US blockade against the country.
I went to Cuba with Meg and 29 other delegations from the international People’s Assembly to experience and highlight the vast social, economic and political advancements the small Caribbean Island has achieved under the illegal blockade from the US.
We were informed that the initial purpose of blockade, stated in a US Memorandum date April 1960, was: “to make the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” However, as we witnessed first-hand, the blockade has never achieved this purpose.
Instead, the Cuban people are still a socialist bastion of hope in the face of capitalist greed despite having faced 60 years of global oppression. During our time in Cuba, we were invited to several places where we witnessed the achievements a socialist country can attain if the workers and people of the country are put first, not last.
We attended several conferences where we learned about economic situation and the impact of US policy, the way mainstream media misinforms about Cuba and how Cuba is trying to combat that misinformation.
One of the highlights of the trip was going to the Palace of Conventions and listening to the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal address and thank us as trade unionists for showing solidarity with Cuba.
During our stay we visited community outreach centres, one being a school for special needs children. This was a very heart-warming experience with medical staff demonstrating genuine care with the restricted resources they had. It highlighted the fact that there’s no reason that a country like the UK can’t feed, care for and give our children a proper education – apart from greed.
In Cuba unemployment is at 1.6%, everybody has a roof over their head and food on their plate. The literacy rate is the highest in the Americas, education is free from pre-school to university. 13% of GDP is spent on education, compared to just 5.6% in the US and UK.
Life expectancy is higher in Cuba than the US, infant mortality is lower. In pretty much every health index Cuba trumps the Western World all in the face of an illegal blockade cutting the island off from much of the rest globalised world trade culture. Cuba shines as a true socialist vision of what could be.
Our trip to the island was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I would implore anyone who is free to go: please do. We didn’t stop laughing, dancing, cheering and expressing solidarity throughout our time there, and that was even without the constant supply of rum.
Viva Cuba, Viva la revolucion!
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