SACP expresses solidarity with people and government of Cuba ogainst recent Anti-Cuban measures taken by the US Government

19 May 2004

The South African Communist Party (SACP) condemns the government of the United States for the recent measures against Cuba announced on 6 May by President George Bush.

In summary, these measures include:

• Provision of $59 million of US taxpayers' money over the next two years to be used for actions aimed at undermining the Cuban government, people and law.
• Allocating $18 million for anti-Cuban TV and radio broadcasts
• Intensification of pressure on other countries with ties with Cuba
• Forbidding Cubans living in the United States from sending remittances and packages to their families if these are "government officials or members of the Communist Party of Cuba"
• Directing US law enforcement agencies to conduct "sting operations" against anyone who carries money to relatives of Cubans living in the United States.
• Economic pressure and isolation of Cuban companies working in the export sector
• Establishing a Transition Coordinator for Cuba at the State Department

These measures are against international law and they are part of the US agenda to dominate every corner of the globe. Socialist Cuba must not be threatened by any power. The people of Cuba democratically chose their destiny and they must be allowed to continue doing so.

We call on South Africans and people of the world to mobilise on US Independence Day (4 July) and Cuban National Day (26 July) to express condemnation of this intensification of US aggression against Cuba. We call on churches, other religious organisations, civil society, political parties, NGOs and all South Africans to work together with the Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS) in mobilising the South African public to use the days of 4 and 26 July to express their solidarity with the people of Cuba.

These latest measures clearly show the intention of the US government to escalate its aggressive and hostile posture towards socialist Cuba. The Bush Administration has learnt nothing from the steadfast resistance of the Cuban people to more than four decades of attempts to undermine their sovereignty by imposing regime change. The Bush Administration has learnt nothing from its humiliating debacle in Iraq. The people of South Africa and the world are not going watch idly.

CONTACT Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)
Head of the Office of the General Secretary
South African Communist Party
Tel - + 27 11 339 3621, Fax - +27 11 339 4244/6880
Cell - +83 651 0271
Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za