Today, Wednesday 16 September, Equity sent a strong message of solidarity to Cuba and Cuban cultural workers who are continuing to suffer under the US blockade. The opportunity arose during the final day of TUC Congress, with Cuban trade union leader Osnay Miguel Colina Rodriguez addressing Congress and delegates passing a motion of solidarity with Cuba.
Following Rodriguez's speech, a motion calling to end the siege in Cuba was debated.
Equity delegate Sam Swann spoke in support of the motion, hailing the Cuban people as “some of the bravest comrades of our movement’s history, whose existence every day is a challenge to capitalism, and a challenge to imperialism, capitalism’s highest stage.”
Sam explained that “Cuba is a country that, for our culture sector, shows that there is an alternative. In Cuba, actors and musicians get a basic income through state support; all education including arts education is free up-to and including university as well as their famous music and theatre academies.” Sam then quoted Fidel Castro, who said that “Culture is the nation” it is the “shield and sword that protects its independence and collective self-awareness”.
But the culture sector in Cuba, along so much of everyday life, faces devastating consequences as a result of the US’s latest fuel blockade, severely limiting fuel imports which the island nation relies on heavily. Describing the blockade as “callous aggression that has caused power cuts of up to 30 hours, forcing key cultural institutions to suspend performances and nightlife, decimating the incomes of thousands of those workers”, Sam said that “despite this, Cuban workers have carried on performing-shows during daylight-hours in schools, town squares and communities.”
Sam referenced Cuba’s higher literacy rate than the USA, and that it has the highest number of doctors per capita in the world.
Equity Treasurer David John added that “Equity calls on the UK Foreign Secretary and the Culture Minister to stand up to the US administration and call for peace and sovereignty for Cuba. The illegal blockade and collective punishment must end. Cuba must be taken off the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism and be allowed to trade freely like any other nation. The military threats from the USA must stop.”
David went on to describe the current blockade as posing “an existential threat to Cuban cultural workers.” He continued: “Having visited Havana recently I’ve seen first-hand the difficulties the recent fuel blockade by the US administration has caused to workers in our industry as well as the rest of the Cuban population. It is collective punishment of the Cuban people and against international law. Cuban culture is a beacon to the world. The industry is suffering under the illegal US blockade and the recent executive orders from the US President which are directly causing a severe shortage of fuel leading to severe power cuts. Equity stands in solidarity with all Cuban cultural workers at this incredibly difficult time as well as with our sister Trade Union, the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Cultura (National Union of Cultural Workers).”
Find out about the Equity International Solidarity Committee
