Lebanon present at the International Colloquium for the 130th Anniversary of the newspaper Patria, founded by the Cuban Apostle José Martí.
Declaration of the International Colloquium Patria: Cuba is standing, as since 1959
Cuba continues, against blockades, attacks and lies. Attempts to encircle and isolate it have once again proven to fail: here are journalists, intellectuals, artists and communicators from several countries gathered at the International Colloquium Patria organized by the Union of Journalists of Cuba, held at the Casa de las Americas in Havana.
Once again, international solidarity and commitment is expressed with Cuba, which is facing a policy of economic asphyxiation and media siege led by the U.S. government. The administration of President Joe Biden maintained the guidelines outlined by his predecessor, Donald Trump, once again emphasizing the bipartisan dimension of the policy against the island.
The consequence of this continuity has been expressed in the absence of a relaxation of the blockade even in times of pandemic which, in the case of Cuba, was combined with the necessary sanitary restrictions and, consequently, the closure of international tourism and its income. The bet from Washington, the always pro-coup sectors in Florida, was to use that scenario to launch a destabilizing offensive, as could be seen in 2021.
This offensive was accompanied by an immense international media campaign via social networks, big media, foundations, which prepared, accompanied and maximized the events experienced. Lies, creation of falsified realities to the point of projecting a situation far from what was actually happening, were, predictably, part of the recipe book.
This does not mean ignoring the material difficulties of the population and the internal political challenges. But the economic situation cannot be understood without the blockade that transversally affects the life of Cuba: closure of channels for sending remittances, sanctions against those who trade with the island, even the attempt to close the media with the impossibility, for example, of using platforms that are commonly used in most countries.
This is the persistence and aggravation of an aggression that occurs in a context of global crisis and decline of U.S. hegemony. The United States is facing an already evident loss of capacity to shape the world according to its strategy and need, as evidenced by the recent chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan or the current war in Ukraine.
Cuba stands then, as it has since 1959, with new answers to be found, a history to be defended, the doors always open to the sincere friend. This International Colloquium Patria, in homage to the 130th anniversary of the founding of José Martí's newspaper, shows once again that Cuba is not alone, it moves forward, it debates, it meets at the Casa de las Américas, home of the continent, common and necessary horizon.
Marco Teruggi
Daniel David Devita
Gustavo Javier Arroyo
Bruno Lonatti
María Fernanda Ruíz
Ana Silvia Fernández
Javier Couso
Ana Hurtado
Carlos G. Penalva
Orlenys Ortiz
Gustavo Borges Revilla
Heizel Patiño
Jerónimo Zarco
Pedro Santander
Manolo de los Santos
Ben Becker
Vivian Fernandes
Wafica Mehdi
Casa de las Américas, La Habana, 15 de marzo del 2022.