For the
eighteenth year, the American Pastors for Peace organization is sending
truckloads of material aid to Cuba, in direct violation of the longstanding
U.S. boycott of that country. Throughout that time, many Canadians have
assisted and contributed to the caravans.
On June
30, after a few days delay, a truck loaded with material aid for Cuba from
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba made it across the U.S. border at Emerson,
Manitoba. The truck is on one of the 14 routes the Pastors for Peace Caravan
will travel over the next two weeks, stopping in more than 125 cities and towns
on their way to Texas. There all routes will converge and the trucks will cross
over together into Mexico.
Along all
the routes public events are being held in each community the Caravan passes
through, speaking out against the 46 year long U.S. blockade of Cuba. The truck that left from the Prairie provinces stopped in Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg
before crossing into the U.S. Successful public events were held in each of
those cities and several thousand dollars was raised to support the Caravan.
This year
more than 150 people are travelling the full journey with the Caravan. After
loading the material aid onto ships in Tampico, Mexico, the participants will
fly to Havana to join the thousands of Cubans who will gather
to welcome the arrival of the shipment.
It is
illegal in the U.S. to deliver goods to Cuba and major challenges sometimes
occur at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing. The Pastors for Peace point out that
it is the blockade which is illegal by all international standards as well as
immoral because it punishes the Cuban people for the long-standing hostility of
the U.S. government against its second-closest neighbour. This hostility has
led to innumerable terrorist attacks, assassination attempts and other acts of
aggression and sabotage over the years against Cuba by the U.S. government.
Under the Bush administration, the anti-Cuba policy has strengthened to an
unprecedented extent.
A Caravan
border crossing from British Columbia into Washington State was also successful
on June 30. However, the attempted crossing from Quebec into Maine was denied
that same day due to instructions from the U.S. Homeland Security authorities.
That particular shipment carrying medical supplies such as breast pumps and
surgical gowns was seized and will be held for 30 days to investigate its
security threat to the U.S.