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(La versión en español sigue la versión en Inglés) July 14, 2013 Back-to-Back Victories Against the U.S. Blockade on Cuba on the British Columbia, Canada/Washington State Border! Humanitarian Aid and Caravan Participants on Their Way to Cuba with the 24th Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba After 1.5 Hour Protest! Click here for a video slideshow of the July 14th border crossing! On July 14, 2013 humanitarian aid and Caravan to Cuba participants successfully crossed the British Columbia, Canada/Washington State border after a 1.5 hour-long protest! This is a great victory for the people all over the world fighting for an end to the U.S. blockade against Cuba, which for over 50 years has denied the people of Cuba access to basic items from medicines to school supplies. This successful action broke the U.S. blockade once again, building on the victory of last year's crossing with energetic chanting, marching and peoples unified expression of love for Cuba! In 2012 activists and peace-loving people from BC and Washington waged a 24-hour long protest, called “Occupy Border,” at the US/Canada border. This 24-hour long demonstration against the blockade won the passage of an entire truck-load of aid destined for Cuba on the 23rd Pastors for Peace Caravan. These back-to-back victories are a great example of people taking a stand for peace and justice and, in the words of the late founder of IFCO/Pastors for Peace, the Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., “locking horns with the Empire,” and winning! This day was also in honour of the late Tom Warner, a tireless social justice activist who was with the Caravans to Cuba from the very beginning, and a leading organizer with the Seattle-Cuba Friendship Committee. Not only is it a great victory that all the aid and Caravanistas are now on their way to Cuba, but the day of action was also an outreach and educational event for the hundreds of people passing through the border. It was impossible to miss the chants of “Lift the Blockade on Cuba NOW!” “Hey Obama, Lift the Blockade!” “Abajo el Bloqueo!” “Free the Cuban 5 NOW!,” and supporters distributed hundreds of leaflets about the Caravan to Cuba and the Cuban 5 political prisoners held in U.S. jails. Although all of the aid was let through this year, it was not without harassment from the U.S. border officials. Their attempt to intimidate the Caravan supporters began as the 40-person strong march against the U.S. blockade on Cuba approached the border. U.S. border officials immediately came out to meet the march, insisting that the marching and chanting could not continue on. It was clear that they knew who was coming! The U.S. border should have known that everyone who had marched down to the border was prepared continue to protests until all the humanitarian aid and Caravanistas were allowed to pass. Instead, they attempted to silence a vigorous and loud protest happening just outside with further harassment through a close inspection of the humanitarian aid, which included pencils, Spanish language bibles, construction supplies and medicines. They wanted to tire the protesters out, but they only made them louder and the chants, singing and handing out information to drivers passing by did not stop for 1.5 hours straight! Before the successful crossing, the day began with a picnic meal and cultural program. Tamara Hansen, a Caravanista this year, as well as the Coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba introduced an inspiring range of performers and supporters of Cuba including Hap Bockelie, a poet and leading organizer with the Seattle-Cuba Friendship Committee; Alison Bodine and Azza Rojbi, co-Coordinators of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee – Vancouver; Judy Zeh, leading organizer with the Seattle-Cuba Friendship Committee; Rejean, a Vancouver Island based musician; and Joose Justice, Vancouver hip-hop artist. This great victory would not have been possible without the unity and friendship between people in B.C., Canada and Washington state. Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), the BC Aid Network for Cuba (BCANC - http://www.bcanc.org) and the Seattle-Cuba Friendship Committee (www.seattlecuba.org) joined together in organizing this year's border crossing, bringing people together for a picnic and protest action against the U.S. blockade. LIFT THE BLOCKADE ON CUBA NOW! ABAJO EL BLOQUEO! ¡Victorias consecutivas sobre el Bloque norteamericano contra Cuba en Columbia Británica, Frontera Canadá/Estado de Washington! ¡Ayuda humanitaria y participantes en la Caravana camino a Cuba con la 24ta Caravana de Pastores por la Paz después de una protesta de hora y media! El 14 de julio de 2013, la ayuda humanitaria y la los participantes de la Caravana hacia Cuba lograron cruzar la frontera entre Columbia Británica y el Estado de Washington luego de una protesta de hora y media de duración. Esta es una gran victoria para todas las personas en todo el mundo que luchan para poner fin al bloqueo estadounidense contra Cuba, el cual por más de 50 años ha negado al pueblo de Cuba acceso a artículos básicos como medicinas y materiales escolares. Esta exitosa acción rompió una vez más el bloqueo, basados en la victoria del cruce del pasado año con cantos vigorosos, marchando y unificando la expresión de amor hacia Cuba. En 2012, los activistas y amantes de la paz de Columbia Británica y Washington libraron una protesta de 24 horas, llamada “Occupy Border” (Ocupar la Frontera) en la frontera entre Estados Unidos y Canadá. Esta manifestación de 24 horas contra el bloqueo ganó el pasaje de un camión completo cargado de ayuda destinada a Cuba en la 23ra Caravana de Pastores por la Paz. Estas victorias consecutivas son un gran ejemplo de cómo el pueblo asume una posición a favor de la paz y la justicia, y en las palabras del difunto fundador de IFCO/Pastores por la Paz, el Rev. Lucius Walker (hijo), ¡“enfrentar al Imperio”, y ganar! Este día, también para honrar al difunto Tom Warner, un incansable activista de justicia social que estuvo con las Caravanas hacia Cuba desde el principio, y líder organizador del Comité de Amistad Seattle-Cuba. No solo es una gran victoria que toda la ayuda y los Caravanistas están ahora camino a Cuba, sino que la jornada de acción fue también un evento educativo y de acercamiento para los cientos de personas que pasaban la frontera. ¡Era imposible no escuchar los gritos de “Lift the Blockade on Cuba NOW! (¡Levanten el Bloqueo contra Cuba AHORA!” “Hey, Obama, lift the Blockade! (¡Oye, Obama, levanta el bloqueo!)” “¡Abajo el Bloqueo!” “Free the Cuban 5 NOW! (¡Liberen a los Cinco AHORA!)”, y los seguidores distribuyeron cientos de panfletos sobre las Caravanas hacia Cuba y los Cinco Prisioneros Políticos Cubanos en prisiones norteamericanas. Aunque toda la ayuda logró pasar el año pasado, no fue sin acoso por parte de los oficiales de fronteras de Estados Unidos. Su intento de intimidar a los partidarios de la Caravana comenzó mientras una fuerte marcha de 40 personas contra el bloqueo norteamericano sobre Cuba se acercó a la frontera. Los funcionarios norteamericanos de fronteras inmediatamente salieron al encuentro de la marcha, insistiendo que la marcha y el canto no podían continuar. ¡Estaba claro que sabían quién se acercaba! La frontera norteamericana debía saber que todo el mundo que marchó hacia la allí a protestar estaba preparado para continuar haciéndolo hasta que permitieran atravesar a toda la ayuda humanitaria y a los Caravanistas. En vez de esto intentaron silenciar una viril y ruidosa protesta que estaba ocurriendo afuera con más acoso a través de una minuciosa inspección hacia la ayuda humanitaria, que incluía lápices, biblias en español, materiales de construcción y medicinas. Querían hacer que los manifestantes se cansaran, pero solamente lograron que los cantos fuesen más ruidosos: ¡los cantos y la entrega de información a los conductores que pasaban no se detuvieron por una hora y media! Gracias a este exitoso cruce, el día comenzó con un picnic y un programa cultural. Tamara Hansen, una Caravanista este año, y también Coordinadora de las Comunidades de Vancouver en Solidaridad con Cuba (VCSC por sus siglas en inglés) presentó un inspirador rango de artistas y simpatizantes con Cuba, incluyendo a Hap Bockelie, poeta y líder organizador con el Comité de Amistad Seattle-Cuba; Alison Bodine y Azza Rojbi, co-coordinadoras del Comité de Vancouver por la Liberación de los Cinco; Judy Zeh, organizadora principal del Comité de Amistad Seattle-Cuba; Rejean, músico radicado en la Isla de Vancouver, y Joose Justice, artista de hip-hop de Vancouver. Esta gran victoria no habría sido posible sin la unidad y la amistad de las personas en Columbia Británica, Canadá y el estado de Washington. Las Comunidades de Vancouver en Solidaridad con Cuba (VCSC), la Red de Columbia Británica de Ayuda a Cuba (BCANC - www.bcanc.org) y el Comité de Amistad Seattle-Cuba(www.seattlecuba.org) se unieron en organizar el cruce de la frontera este año, uniendo personas para un picnic y una acción de protesta contra el bloqueo norteamericano. ¡LEVANTEN EL BLOQUEO CONTRA CUBA AHORA! ABAJO EL BLOQUEO! Traducido por Reynaldo Cruz Diaz July 8, 2013 Pastors for Peace Event in Kamloops, BC a great Success! The Caravan to Cuba prepares to cross the US/ Canada Border on July 14! The British Columbia, Canada leg of the 24th Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba began with an excellent event in the city of Kamloops on July 8, 2013. This was the second consecutive year a Caravan event has taken place in Kamloops, and judging by the growing turnout, interest is on the rise. The Kamloops event was hosted by the Kamloops Socialist Club, while the BC leg of the Caravan tour is organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and the BC Aid Network for Cuba (BCANC). This year the Caravan will bring humanitarian aid and construction tools and supplies to help in the reconstruction efforts in Santiago de Cuba, on the eastern end of the island which was severely affected by Hurricane Sandy. Since 1992 the Pastors for Peace Caravan has been directly challenging the US blockade on Cuba by bringing humanitarian aid and people to Cuba from the US and around the world. The event took place on a hot summer's night in the popular The Art We Are Cafe in downtown Kamloops. Cuban flags and banners mingled with the wide array of artwork normally exhibited across the café's walls. The audience was a great mix of people, including a group of university social work students and their professor who had recently returned from a successful field school in Cuba. The event was MC'd by Darcy Robinson of the Kamloops Socialist Club and Thomas Davies of the BCANC. The program was packed. It began with a documentary film showing on the negative effects of the US blockade of Cuba, and then a live video greeting from Manolo De Los Santos from the Pastors for Peace office in New York City. Manolo informed everyone that 5 other Caravans events were happening across North America that evening as part of more than 50 Caravan events this year in Canada, the US and Mexico. Aaron Mercredi, a VCSC organizer and returning 'caravanista', reminded people of the successful struggle which happened on last year's Caravan. US authorities had tried to block humanitarian aid from crossing the US/Canada border, but after 24 hours of continuous protest and international media attention, they were forced to allow the aid to pass on its way to Cuba. Aaron urged everyone to come to this year’s border crossing to make sure the aid and BC 'caravanistas' are again allowed through! Azza, a Tunisian social justice activist and also co-Coordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee -Vancouver, spoke about her first trip to Cuba. She recalled the hugely positive impact Cuban society had had on her, and of the Caravan's importance in breaking down the divisions the US government is trying to impose between the people of Cuba and the people of the US. Last but not least, hip-hop artist Joose Justis brought the evening to a close with a special selection of songs, including some which he had co-written with Cuban hip-hop pioneers Obsesion. Joose had the crowd chanting, "Che Guevarra!" and clapping in time with his beats. The Pastors for Peace Caravan continues to be one of the most important solidarity projects around the world, and growing support in new areas like Kamloops show the strength of its "People to People Foreign Policy". With another event in nearby Seattle, Washington on July 12; a BBQ and cultural night in Vancouver on July 13; and the important Peace Arch border crossing on July 14 all happening in the next coming days the Caravan is really starting to roll on its way to break the blockade against Cuba!