Above photo: Estudios Revolución.
This year marked the largest delegation of people from the US in decades to be in Cuba for the events around the International Day of Workers. Over 350 people from the states participated and it was easy to see how youth made up the largest percentage, many of whom were visiting revolutionary Cuba for the first time.
Yesterday delegates began to return home and some were met and detained by US Customs and Border Patrol in multiple cities. One reported that several of them traveling with the International Peoples Assembly (IPA) and the LA Hands of Cuba Committee were yanked into secondary questioning pertaining to their political motives. At least two people had their phones confiscated. At this time all have been released.
Imagine it, being harassed for being on a legal trip to the island to make friends with the Cuban people and to see for themselves the struggles that the Cuban people have had to endure while in the vice grip of a unilateral blockade that has been maintained through 13 presidents no matter which big business party was in power.
For many of us we remember the battles at the borders as we fought to get symbolic aid to Cuba in defiance of the blockade on the Pastors for Peace Caravans, but this level of harassment has not been seen in years.
Not meaning to the Biden Administration has struck a rock because if they thought this would intimidate our growing movement in solidarity with Cuba they are wrong. What I have seen this past week is a government here more concerned about the well-being of the next generation of US youth than their own government that marginalizes them by constricting access to jobs with a living wage, that makes access to education nearly impossible without the burden of student loans that they will carry for years, and that incarcerates them at a rate like no other country in the world.
As of now there has been no comment from the White House about the detentions but the President of Cuba has shown his concern by sending out the following message on his twitter account.
“Cheer up guys, we’re with you. Thank you for your courage, for supporting #Cuba & for facing the hatred of those who cannot stand the fact that the Cuban Revolution has the support of the most progressive youth in the belly of the beast. We send you a big hug”. – Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. President of the Republic of Cuba.