Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Rome carrying Cuban flags and the flags of the various groups participating in the mobilization, including the Communist Network party, the Base Union of Trade Unions (USB), and the youth organizations Cambiare Rotta and Alternative Student Opposition (OSA).

During the march, participants in this solidarity demonstration displayed banners reading “Rubio Out of Rome!” and emphasizing that “Cuba is not alone!” These slogans were echoed by various speakers, who rejected the criminal U.S. policy against the island and the visit to Italy by one of its main proponents.

“The presence of the US Secretary of State in Rome represents a grave political signal, because it legitimizes an international stance of interference, sanctions, and pressure on entire populations,” declared economist Luciano Vasapollo, leader of the Network of Communists.

The call to this demonstration states that “Rubio is one of the leading figures of the US ruling class, which, in a context of a crisis of hegemony both internationally and domestically, is exhibiting its most brutal violence, its warmongering tendencies, and its reactionary sentiments.”

The document also refers to US support for Israel in its genocidal attacks against the Palestinian people, as well as the aggression against Iran and Lebanon, with a belligerent escalation in the Middle East, and the new Monroe Doctrine in Latin America, with the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

In particular, reference is made to the recent measures to strangle Cuba, and it is noted that “in recent years the United States and its ruling class have proven to be, more than ever, a danger to the peoples of the world, who have decided to raise their voices after decades of exploitation, colonialism, and oppression.”

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