African Union and US artists, politicians and organizations denounce Trump's attacks on Cuba

Image via the PCC

Via the Communist Party of Cuba, translated from the Spanish

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, conveyed his deep gratitude to the African Heads of State and Government for adopting a resolution condemning the blockade of the U.S. Government and against the inclusion of the island on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

"Its value is greater in these times of the brutal attempt by the U.S. to use energy to strangle our entire people," he said on the social network X in response to the stance reaffirmed by the African Union (AU).

"Thank you for this show of solidarity, after the executive order that seeks to block our oil supplies and suffocate the entire Cuban people," member of the Political Bureau of the Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, posted on the social network X in response to the steadfast stance of the AU.

The AU has passed 17 consecutive resolutions opposing the economic blockade, and Prensa Latina (PL) noted that this is the third instance highlighting the arbitrary designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The Cuban Embassy in Ethiopia reported that African leaders voiced their concerns over the worsening impact of Washington's embargo, particularly given the current situation where Havana continues to grapple with substantial economic and social issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also denounced the extraterritorial reach of this policy, particularly the enforcement of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which strengthens restrictions and extends their impact beyond the borders of the United States.

The resolution once more reaffirms the profound historical, political, and solidarity connections between the peoples of Africa and Cuba, clearly expressing support for the removal of this measure, which they view as unjust, illegal, and contrary to international law principles and the sovereignty of states, PL reported.

OPEN LETTER FROM AMERICAN ARTISTS, POLITICIANS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Artists, intellectuals, and activists such as Jane Fonda, Ed Harris, Indya Moore, Roger Waters, Tatiana Maslany, Alice Walker, Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, Kal Penn, Vic Mensa, and Boots Riley are among the signatories of the open letter "A Call to Conscience: Stop Donald Trump's Cruel Attack on the Cuban People."

The text, which describes the executive order of the US president as a deliberate act of economic warfare aimed at strangling an entire population has also been signed by the Answer Coalition, The People's Forum, IFCO Pastors for Peace, Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) and the 50501 collective; and also by the Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez.

It has received backing from academics at Yale, Duke, NYU, and Columbia, as well as over 20 members of the New York City Council, such as Alexa Aviles, Tiffany Caban, and Shekar Krishnan, in addition to state legislators.

The letter states: "This policy is unconscionable. It deepens a humanitarian crisis of our own making. Cuba poses no threat to the United States. Starving a population into submission is not diplomacy; it is a form of terrorism."

Such actions by the Trump administration, it explains, are nothing more than a cynical and crude ploy to distract public opinion from that nation's internal problems.

"We, along with millions of people in the United States and around the world, reject this inhumane act against the people of Cuba. This is not a policy of national security; it is a deliberate act of economic warfare aimed at strangling an entire population."

The letter states that the consequences of the new Executive Order will be measured in human suffering and calls on "all people of conscience to reject this cruelty and demand an immediate end to the blockade."

Trump must conduct his foreign policy respecting the wishes of the American people, the document adds, and in accordance with international law.

"We, the people of the United States, want to have normal relations with Cuba, treat Cuba with equality and respect, and most importantly to see Cuba and the Cuban people as our neighbors and not our enemies.

Let Cuba Live! Cuba is not a Threat!"

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC