Friends of Cuba in Lebanon demand an end to the blockade
At an event held at the Arab International Center for Communication and Solidarity in Beirut, Friends of Cuba in Lebanon demanded an end to the blockade imposed by the US against the Caribbean island for more than 60 years and expressed their support and fraternal solidarity with the Cuban people.
The event began with a video about the Caribbean island and how the Cuban people are facing the intensification of the blockade with creativity, unity, and support for the revolutionary government.
Speakers included Maan Bashour, president of the Arab International Center for Communication and Solidarity; Ihab Hamadeh, member of the Lebanese Parliament representing the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc; Shaker al-Barjawi, president of the Arab Current, representing the Nationalist Front; Ali al-Rifai, representing the Lebanese Writers Union; Abdullah Danan, deputy head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Mohammad Hashisho, secretary general of the Popular Democratic Party, speaking on behalf of the Lebanese left; and Anwar Yassin, representing the José Martí Arab-Latin American Solidarity Association, who reiterated their condemnation of the suffocating policies imposed by the US against the Caribbean island and reaffirmed their support for the Cuban people, highlighting Cuba as an important reference point for the defense of just causes around the world and for internationalist solidarity.
In his closing remarks, the Cuban Ambassador to Lebanon, Jorge P. León Cruz, reiterated his gratitude to the “Friends of Cuba in Lebanon” for holding this important event, which allows us to speak on behalf of millions of Cubans who defend the sovereignty and independence of Cuba and of the peoples who do not bow to the domination of US imperialism.
He recalled that this year, 2026, we are commemorating the centenary of the birth of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, whom we always remember in these difficult and complex times. He reaffirmed that Cuba will maintain its steadfastness, dignity, and resistance with the support of all the friends of the Cuban people. He stressed that this new Executive Order not only attacks Cuba, but also constitutes an aggression against the sovereignty of third countries by imposing sanctions on them for having relations with Cuba. He reiterated the call to brothers, friends, and international solidarity to make common cause and close ranks in defense of Cuba's sovereignty, which ratifies its full willingness to be soldiers of resistance in the face of any aggression.
Almost a hundred people from a broad spectrum of Lebanese and Palestinian politics were present at the event, including left-wing political forces, academics, journalists, intellectuals, the Lebanese Writers' Union, representatives of the Cuban community, and members of civil society.