In the meeting, participants agreed on denouncing the impact of Washington’s economic, commercial, and financial blockade on the daily lives of the Cuban people, while also emphasizing the need to transform solidarity into concrete and sustained actions.
The Secretary of Administration and Finance of the Unified Workers’ Central (CUT), Ariovaldo de Camargo, stressed the importance of active solidarity and, after recounting recent experiences in Cuba, affirmed that he was able to directly witness the effects of the economic embargo on the population.
For her part, state representative Maria Isabel de Azevedo Noronha criticized US policy and linked it to other international actions, denouncing attacks against countries like Venezuela and Iran and associating them with Donald Trump’s interest in oil.
She also mentioned rare earth elements, warning that Brazil possesses the second largest reserves in the world and that the US president has his sights set on the resources of the South American giant.
According to the CUT website, the event, which was supported by various organizations, also included a speech by the Cuban Consul General in Sao Paulo, Benigno Perez, who rejected narratives that portray the island as a failed state.
In turn, the intellectual and Dominican friar Frei Betto gave a historical perspective, highlighting Cuba’s role in international solidarity and noting that its Revolution has been characterized for more than six decades by its commitment to oppressed peoples.
He also emphasized on the need to accurately describe US policy. “Let’s not use the word embargo, let’s use the word blockade. A blockade is a crime,” he said.
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