Report Back Victory for Cuba Against US Blockade: Successful 21st Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba Send-off in BC! Every year for the past 19 years, people of all ages, faiths and walks of life have been coming together to participate in the Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba. The Caravan is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) which challenges the US blockade of Cuba and ban on US citizens traveling to the island nation. Traveling in buses, trucks and other vehicles to be donated to Cuba, caravanistas stop in 125 US and Canadian cities along 14 different routes to gather up humanitarian aid and hold events to raise awareness about the US blockade on Cuba. As a challenge to the US blockade and ban on delivering humanitarian aid to Cuba without a US government license, the aid is then taken across the US-Mexico border to be sent off to Cuba. Participants in the Caravan then fly to Cuba for a week-long educational and cultural experience in the country. For more information on the caravan, visit: http://www.pastorsforpeace.org/ CARAVAN SEND-OFF The 21st Pastors for Peace Caravan began its BC tour on June 28th with a forum in the Comox Valley, followed by an event in Nanaimo on June 29th, on Saltspring Island on June 30th and in Victoria on July 2nd. Following this successful series of send-off evenings, the final event before the border crossing was held in Vancouver on Saturday, July 3rd. A barbecue and fundraiser was organized at Trout Lake Park to send off the Caravan and the caravanistas, including five from Vancouver. Amidst banners and Cuban flags adorning trees near the lake, over 85 people gathered to participate in the event, organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC). The evening began with poetry reading by local poets Alejandro Mujica-Olea and Shakeel Lochan, and Vancouver Caravanista Max Tennant. Following a short break for a delicious barbecue dinner, it was time for the “Caravan Relay”. Event participants got a small taste of the caravan as they participated in a relay game to “get the aid to Cuba”, battling two “US border patrol officers” armed with water guns! The games left everyone in high spirits and ready to hear from the speakers, which included the five Vancouver Caravanistas (Max Tennant, Janine Solanki, Sarah Alwell, Thomas Davies and Chad Altomare) who shared the reasons they were participating in the Caravan. Manolo de los Santos, the caravan route speaker and project coordinator for IFCO/Pastors for Peace gave a moving speech about the US blockade on Cuba and Cuba’s accomplishments despite the blockade. The evening wrapped up with music by local hip-hop crew Republica Central and Free the Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver organizer Noah Fine. Throughout the event many people signed up for carpooling to the next day’s Caravan border crossing. Everyone left in good spirits, ready to get to the Peace Arch border crossing to break the US blockade against Cuba.