The 41st Southern Cross International Solidarity Brigade took place between December 2025 and January 2026 with great success and renewed commitment. During these weeks, Australian brigade members participated in intensive volunteer work in various parts of the country, exchanged with communities, visited historical, educational, and productive centers, and engaged in activities denouncing the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States.
The program included work in provinces such as Pinar del Río and Havana, where participants contributed to agricultural, maintenance, and recovery tasks, reaffirming the spirit of active solidarity that has characterized this brigade since its founding more than four decades ago. The brigade members highlighted the resilience of the Cuban people in the face of economic difficulties and reiterated their commitment to continue accompanying the island “until the blockade is lifted.”
Next event: the 19th International Brigade “Primero de Mayo”
While the experiences of the Southern Cross still resonate, the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and Amistur Cuba S.A. have already formally convened the 19th International Brigade of Volunteer Work and Solidarity with Cuba “May 1st,” scheduled for April 26 to May 9, 2026.
This edition has special historical significance, as it will take place within the framework of:
- The centenary of the birth of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz,
- The 65th anniversary of ICAP,
- The 67th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
The program includes:
- Volunteer work days to benefit communities and productive entities,
- Tours of historical and cultural sites,
- Exchanges with mass organizations and workers,
- Participation in the rally and main event for International Workers' Day (May 1).
The call is open to unions, solidarity organizations, social movements, and individuals from around the world who wish to express their concrete support for Cuba at a key moment of internationalist reaffirmation.
Both the recent Cruz del Sur Brigade and the upcoming May Day demonstrate that, despite the intensification of the blockade and the media campaign against Cuba, international solidarity continues to grow and is expressed in concrete actions of shared work and political commitment.
We thank our friends at the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society for their constant support.
Cuba is not alone!