- Ernesto Che Brigade Press Release -
- Canadian Network On Cuba, April 29, 2012 -

On Sunday, April 29, forty-five (45) Canadians departed for Cuba as members of the Canadian Network On Cuba’s 20th Ernesto Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade. The brigade is organized in conjunction with the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos (Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples). Brigade coordinator Dave Thomas points out that “the brigade is an annual demonstration of the strong ties of solidarity and friendship that exist between the Canadian and Cuban people.”  Thomas further added “it is especially poignant that we are sending out largest group of Canadians ever at this time in the wake of Harper’s government support for the U.S. opposition to Cuba’s participation in the recently concluded Summit of the Americas.”

People from the U.S., Canada and Europe are calling on President Obama to listen to the international community and release the Cuban 5 immediately, during the 5 days for the Cuban 5 in Washington DC.  The actions initiated by the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5 have been endorsed by 272 U.S. and International organizations, and more than 2000 individuals.

During the first and second day, 25 international and U.S. supporters visited 12 of the 100 Senators and 14 members of congress' offices to discuss the issue of the Cuban 5.  The lobbying effort over the past two days marks the first time that the case of the Cuban 5 has been taken to Capitol Hill. The high number of responses to the request for appointments was seen by the supporters as a positive sign.

Louis Wolf, from Washington DC said "Lobbying Congress about the Cuban Five or any Cuba-related issue is definitely a challenge. But when a senior foreign policy aide to a Senator told us yesterday 'U.S. policy toward Cuba is stuck in the Middle Ages', we knew our work is not done in a total vacuum."

Conrad Black's rambling sermon on the papal visit to Cuba is embarrassing in its ignorance.  The selective indignation, arrogant short-sightedness, and vituperative rhetoric are perhaps to be expected.  Worse, however, are the factual errors.

Some of Lord Black of Crossharbour's "facts" need to be corrected: Raul Castro does not consider himself a Catholic (although he did attend Catholic school in his youth); a new seminary is not "opening in Havana" (this happened in 2010); nor is the Church "about to launch Cuba's first MBA programme" (It did so last year).