Trinidad and Tobago

On this historic day for Cuba, the Movement for Social Justice expresses its solidarity with the Cuban people and Government. Sixty-six (66) years ago Fidel Castro led a group of young men and women in an attack on the Moncada military garrison in the eastern city of Santiago. While that attack failed as a military action and a number of the group were killed, July 26, 1953 marked the start of the Cuban Revolution against the brutal dictatorship of Batista. Fidel himself was captured along with Raul Castro and many others and jailed. At his trial Fidel made his historic address - History will Absolve Me.
History did indeed absolve Fidel and his July 26th Movement which eventually completed the Revolution on January 1st, 1959 - 6 short years after the July 26 attack on Moncada. The Cuban Revolution transformed Cuba and the social gains have been acknowledged globally.
Cuba has however had to endure hostile actions by the United States throughout the 60 years of its Revolution. Military intervention with the Bay of Pigs attack; numerous assassination attempts against Fidel; terrorist acts, the worst of which was the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airplane off the coast of Barbados that killed all 73 persons on board; have all been part of successive U.S. Government actions to bring about regime change in Cuba.

PRESS RELEASE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FRIENDS OF CUBA CONDEMNING THE ESCALATION OF THE ECONOMIC BLOCAKADE AGAINST CUBA.

The Trinidad and Tobago Friends of Cuba condemns in the strongest terms the escalation of the Economic Blockade against Cuba.  In June 2019 the State Department headed secretary Mike Pompeo and the US National Security Adviser John Bolton have adopted, with new vigour, the most extreme incarnation of the Muroe Doctrine which is designed to give the US hegemonic control of the Western Hemisphere.  The Cuban revolution remains an affront to this doctrine.   These new measures include among other things, the placing of Cuba on the list of countries which have not fought human trafficking and the adoption of the Title III, the most draconian Clause of the Helm Burton Act (1996).

These measures are tantamount to economic warfare against the Cuban people.  Sixty (60) years of the economic blockade has cost the Cuban economy $134 B US.  This translates into the suffering of the Cuban people and this reduction in the pace of development in many areas of the Cuban economy. Despite the foregoing and the unjust identification of Cuba as a state who does not fight human trafficking  Cuba still has the most stable society in Latin American in terms of crime, health care and social justice.  Compared to its powerful neighbour to the north where that country is still grappling with the lack of universal health care, the mal treatment of immigrants, social injustice including racism and human trafficking particularly in the sex trade inclusive of children.

Port of Spain, October 28. - An important group of about 90 health collaborators working in Trinidad and Tobago completed their mission in the Trinidadian territory, which served as a call for a political - cultural event in which both collaborators and Trinidadians had the opportunity to thank each other for the support received in the last four years. The event was chaired by Cuban Ambassador Guillermo Vázquez Moreno and Dr. Laura González Valdés, head of the Medical Brigade in the Caribbean country.

Port of Spain, June 5th – The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Rogelio Sierra Díaz, arrives today to this brother country, Trinidad and Tobago for a work visit. The Cuban diplomat will be accompanied by the director of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Division of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Jorge Luis Mayo Fernández.