February 15-21 2006: US Blockade on Cuba: A Violation of Cuba's Human Rights Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba & Pastors for Peace John Waller Speaking Tour REPORT BACK “The U.S. Blockade on Cuba: Violation of Cuba’s Human Rights” speaking tour featuring John Waller, the coordinator of the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba, had its Vancouver-wide event on Saturday February 18th, at the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. Since 1992, Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravans have called international attention to the cruel and immoral U.S. Blockade of Cuba by traveling from the U.S. to deliver humanitarian aid to the Cuban people, despite the U.S. governments opposition. The tour visited Langara and Capilano Colleges last week and will be at UBC this Tuesday, it is being co-organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), Pastors for Peace (P4P), and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, along with various other Students’ Unions and campus groups. About 150 people gathered together with M.C. Colleen Glynn, member of VCSC and the Federal NDP-Richmond, opening the evening and introducing the film “Bloqueo.” Filmed on the 2001 P4P Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba. Sophie Ziner, an organizer with the Free the Cuban Five Committee Vancouver, spoke about her trip to Cuba last summer on the Caravan. There she had a chance to see Cuba first hand, meeting family members of the Cuban Five, seeing Fidel Castro speak, and shaking hands with Ricardo Alarcón, president of the Cuban Parliament. When Sophie finished inspiring the crowd with ideas of going on the caravan next summer, Wilson Munoz of the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church explained some of the interesting work the committee has been doing to fight for social justice in Cuba and throughout Latin America. Wilson was followed by Tamara Hansen, the coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC). Tamara explained how the United States uses the claim that Cuba violates human rights to uphold the blockade against Cuba, however a report released last week by the United Nations Human Rights Commission outlined a long list of human rights violations being committed by the United States in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This report clearly exposes one aspect of the hypocrisy of the immoral and illegal U.S. blockade. John Waller, the coordinator of the Pastors for Peace Caravan then spoke. John gave some important updates about the United States increasing the blockade against Cuba in the last few years. He also explained more about the gains that have been made in Cuba since the revolution in 1959. He let everyone know that P4P is looking for more participants from Canada to go on the Caravan this summer and encouraged everyone to get involved in the boarder crossing from Canada to the United States on June 18th. There was a good discussion afterwards with many questions about how popular democracy works in Cuba, the case of the five Cuban heroes being held in U.S. jails, the battle of ideas presented by Fidel Castro in 2000, and how Cuba’s doctors are treating patients for free in third-world countries including over one thousand right now in Pakistan. The night wrapped up with a large round of a applause and many people signing-up to get more information about upcoming events in Vancouver and going on the caravan.