Cuban Libraries Support Group

The Cuban Library Support Group starts its 16th day of action in solidarity with Cuba with the following thought :

"The United States has done everything in its power short of outright military intervention to prevent the revolution from succeeding and thereby offering an alternative economic and social model to Latin America. Since the collapse of the Communist bloc, the US government has intensified its efforts to isolate and destroy the Cuban economy. It has never been able to crush the revolution, but it has built enormous economic and political barriers to Cuba's free development...The United States must end the economic blockade and all other initiatives aimed at overthrowing the revolution...They only contribute to the exacerbation of the hardships of its people" ("Machos, Maricones and gays - Cuba and homosexulity" by Ian Lumsden).

MONTH OF ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA - DAY 17

Sergio is a fourteen year old Cuban boy who suffers from asthma. He is a virtual prisoner in his second floor apartment, because simply climbing the stairs brings on an asthma attack. An inhaler would solve the problem, but the US government's economic blockade on Cuba means he cannot get an inhaler for more than three months in every year.

The suffering of children like Sergio prompted the Cuban Library Support Group to sign up to a campaign to end the US blockade that has isolated the Caribbean island for 40 years.

The blockade was imposed by the US government following Cuba's revolution. Amongst other things, the blockade prevents food, medical supplies, books, journals and information from entering Cuba and effectively bans Cuba from buying nearly half of the world class drugs on the market.

Cuban children with leukaemia are unable to get new, life-prolonging drugs, whilst Cuban women are denied access to new US medications that treat breast cancer, the biggest killer of women world wide.

Rob Miller, National Co-ordinator of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and a partner of the Cuban Library Support Group said : "The Cuban people are suffering because of a Cold War policy which is well past its sell by date. We urge people to work together to encourage greater understanding. Its now time to end this inhuman blockade".

Over 40 MPs along with celebrities such as Julie Christie, Mark Thomas, and Harold Pinter have all added their names to the campaign which has over 25,000 signatures.

The petition urges the British Government to continue its opposition to the blockade when it next votes on the issue at the UN at the beginning of November. Last year the resolution, proposed by Cuba, received 157 votes in support, and only two against - the US and Israel. This year's UN vote falls at a crucial time as the US goes to the polls.

Robert Kent and his Friends of Cuban Libraries (sic) claim to support intellectual freedom in Cuba, yet they refuse to condemn the blockade. One of the Friends, Jorge Sanguinetty, broadcasts in favour of the blockade on Radio Marti, a US funded pirate radio station.

MONTH OF ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA - DAY 24

As part of its MONTH OF ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA, the Cuban Library Support Group has been working with one of its partners, the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, on the final phase of our 40 years campaign. Thousands of "sign up cards" and petitions opposing the 40 year blockade of Cuba have now been returned , but we are aiming for a massive 25,000 names.

Thought for the Day : "That the US has no more genuine interest in the human rights of Cubans than it has in those of Haitians or racial minorities within its borders is self evident. The fact (is) that the professed US concern for human rights in Cuba is demagogic and determined by its underlying goal of overthrowing the regime" (Ian Lumsden)

Kent and his Friends of Cuban Libraries (sic) support the illegal 40 year US blockade of Cuba which applies to medicine, food, books, journals and information.

The "Friends", who are part of this "professed US concern for human rights in Cuba", are supported by Freedom House and the Centre for a Free Cuba, both of whom receive funding from the US Agency for International Development.

For more information about the Cuban Libraries Support Group, contact John Pateman at John.Pateman@merton.gov.uk

John Pateman is a member of the Society of Chief Librarians and has visited Cuban libraries in 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2000.

Last updated 11/12/2000

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