U.S. Hands Off Cuba

'U.S. hands off Cuba'
Demonstrations demanding "U.S. hands off Cuba" took place in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Diego, San Fran cisco and New York City on May 17 to 20.

The May 20 protests, called by the ANSWER coalition, were planned in anticipation of a speech President George W. Bush was to make that day. The press had speculated that he would announce the adoption of more hostile measures against Cuba.

Instead, Bush held a small meeting with Cuban emigres. His "speech," a radio address that lasted only about a minute, talked in broad generalities about "freedom." This was seen as a betrayal by right-wing Cuban-Americans, who have been pressing for "regime change" in Cuba. Three Republican congresspeople from Florida did not attend the White House meeting. Rep. Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, immediately attacked Bush for "not living up to your promises" and "playing on the emotions of the Cuban-American community."

All this indicates disarray within this reactionary administration, which has its hands full trying to subdue Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.

The demonstrators in solidarity with Cuba denounced the Bush administration for ordering the expulsion of 14 Cuban diplomats on May 13--seven from Wash ington and seven from the United Nations--without a shred of evidence to back up the charge that they engaged in "inappropriate and unacceptable activities."

Protesters viewed the expulsions as simply one more act of U.S. aggression in its more than 40-year history of terror, economic strangulation and assault on the self-determination of the Cuban people.

The New York actions were also called to counter efforts by right-wing Cubans who, emboldened by Bush's "endless war," were trying to disrupt the functions of the Cuban Mission to the United Nations in New York and the Cuban Interests Section in Washington.

Demonstrators who converged outside the Westwood Federal Building in Los Angeles on May 20 expressed solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and demanded that the Bush administration halt its menacing rhetoric and its escalation of threats against Cuban sovereignty.

John Parker, organizer for the Inter na tional Action Center, said that the fact that Bush's speech made no mention of any new sanctions against Cuba shows what disarray these war makers are in. "It also demonstrates that it is imperative that we remain vigilant and organize a people's defense of the Cuban Revolution against the imperialist aims of the United States."

Adrian Garcia and Bill Hackwell contributed to this report.

Reprinted from the May 29, 2003, issue of Workers World newspaper