{"id":15589,"date":"2026-03-21T10:50:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T14:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/?p=15589"},"modified":"2026-03-21T10:56:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T14:56:04","slug":"cuban-president-receives-the-nuestra-america-convoy-as-a-bridge-of-both-symbolic-and-material-resistance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/cuban-president-receives-the-nuestra-america-convoy-as-a-bridge-of-both-symbolic-and-material-resistance\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuban President Receives the \u201cNuestra Am\u00e9rica\u201d Convoy as a Bridge of both Symbolic and Material Resistance"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Guantanamo.- In a gathering charged with symbolism and emotion, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel Berm\u00fadez, presided over a day of brotherhood this Friday at the Palace of Conventions in Havana with members of the *Nuestra Am\u00e9rica* Convoy. The initiative \u2014 which defies the energy blockade imposed by the United States government \u2014 is preparing to converge in the Cuban capital on March 21st in a mobilization described by its organizers as an act of humanitarian defiance against the economic siege.<\/p>\n

The meeting became a space for both denunciation and hope. According to the organizers, the convoy not only transports humanitarian aid intended to alleviate growing shortages on the island, but also stands as a symbol of outright rejection of what they term Washington\u2019s \u201cpolicy of suffocation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The meeting takes place against a backdrop of tightening sanctions, during which activists recalled recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who\u2014on February 16th, aboard Air Force One\u2014boasted about the critical situation on the island caused by the blockade: \u201cNo oil. No money. Nothing.\u201d However, a poll published by the firm YouGov reveals that 46 percent of U.S. citizens do not support the current oil blockade imposed by their government on Cuba.<\/p>\n

The *Nuestra Am\u00e9rica* Convoy thus positions itself as a bridge of both symbolic and material resistance. Despite logistical restrictions and border controls, participants insisted that the March 21st mobilization would demonstrate that \u201cthe Cuban people are not alone,\u201d in an effort to counter narratives of total collapse and exert moral pressure on the international community to condemn the intensification of the blockade.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fernando Gonz\u00e1lez Llort, President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), opened the proceedings by highlighting the historical magnitude of the moment. \u201cThe people of *Nuestra Am\u00e9rica* [Our America] are making history\u2014for Cuba and for a world that is rising up to defend humanist values, decency, and morality,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Gonz\u00e1lez Llort emphasized that the convoy serves to build bridges of brotherhood, denounce the blockade, and reaffirm that united peoples are invincible. He reported that they are accompanied by approximately 650 visitors from 33 countries, representing over 140 social, political, cultural, and solidarity organizations\u2014including parliamentarians, judges, ambassadors, youth, artists, intellectuals, and activists from practically every continent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the true scope of internationalist solidarity. It is the true scope of what Cuba\u2019s dignity represents to the world,\u201d affirmed the head of ICAP, who offered his thanks on behalf of the Cuban people: \u201cThis is not a merely ceremonial expression of gratitude; it is the sincere gratitude of a people under blockade \u2014 harassed and illegally sanctioned \u2014 yet a people who know they are not alone.\u201d Referring to the current context, he warned that \u201can empire threatens us with the use of force, almost openly.\u00a0 They want to see us on the ground \u2014 sold out, crushed.\u201d\u00a0 Yet he declared: \u201cThey will not succeed. The dignity, the power of ideas, and the high moral fiber of this people can stand against the most powerful weaponry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fernando Pereira, President of Uruguay\u2019s Broad Front (*Frente Amplio*), offered a regional perspective on the current situation. \u201cWe neither want to nor can we overlook what the world is currently experiencing.\u00a0 What has transpired in just a few short months serves as an example of the prosecution of someone who attempted to stage a coup in Brazil, interfere in the election in Argentina, and interfere in the election in Honduras\u2014someone who kidnapped the president of Venezuela and bombed Iran,\u201d he enumerated.<\/p>\n

Pereira emphasized that \u201cany humanist\u2014regardless of their political views\u2014must reject U.S. interference in Cuba. The struggle for peace is a struggle that the Uruguayan people can never abandon,\u201d he asserted, recalling the historical ties shared with the island\u2014from the founders of the Broad Front to the more than 100,000 Uruguayans who received treatment at the Jos\u00e9 Mart\u00ed Eye Hospital, and the exiles who found their first refuge in Cuba during the dictatorship. \u201cCuba is not alone, and it will not be alone,\u201d he declared, urging his audience not to renounce internationalism: \u201cFor the Left, to renounce internationalism would be to renounce its very soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, brought a voice from the United States to the plenary session. \u201cWe come with heavy hearts, in the sense that we are living in a country where our president claims he can seize the nation of Cuba and do whatever he pleases with it. And for us, that is deeply painful,\u201d she confessed.\u00a0 \u00a0Nevertheless, she clarified that this stance \u201cdoes not represent the people of the United States,\u201d who wish to live in cooperation, friendship, and love with Cuba. She announced that they would take the stories from these days back to their members of Congress and friends, in an effort to convince those who govern their country that they must put an end to this cruel and inhumane policy and lift the blockade once and for all.<\/p>\n

From Italy, Michele Curto, President of the Agency for Economic and Cultural Exchange with Cuba (AIEC), underscored the importance of internationalism and the need for Europe to adopt a firm stance. \u201cAs Europeans, we must be clear about the relationship we share with Cuba,\u201d he asserted, highlighting the need to be \u201ca little bit entrepreneurial, a little bit scientific, and highly creative\u2014for that is the approach we will champion within the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ada Galano, President of the National Coordinating Committee of Cubans Residing in Italy, represented the Cuban diaspora with a speech charged with emotion. \u201cWe Cubans residing abroad are not here because we were forced to leave. We are here\u2014as the Master once said\u2014fulfilling the portion of duty that falls to us. We are children of this homeland; we owe ourselves to this soil and to this nation,\u201d she declared. Galano expressed her gratitude to the solidarity organizations and emphasized that Cubans living abroad feel every hardship faced by their people\u2014specifically, \u201cevery medicine missing from a hospital, a pharmacy, or a healthcare facility.\u201d\u00a0 In a moment of profound emotion, she invoked the principle of \u201cCome and Reap\u201d\u2014affirming that, today, the Cuban people are reaping the harvest of solidarity they have sown throughout the world.<\/p>\n

Gerardo Pisarello\u2014representing the organization *Sumar* and serving as Secretary of the Bureau of the Spanish Congress of Deputies\u2014delivered a speech of significant political weight.\u00a0 \u201cWe are here today to give back to millions of Cuban men and women what they taught us\u2014every time they sent a doctor, sent teachers, or sent their vaccines to the most remote corners of the entire world,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only will we continue\u2014until our very last breath\u2014sending all our aid, food, medicine, and solar panels to Cuba; but also, if Cuba is attacked, we will fight, and we will not allow them to cast us into the shadows to sleep like traitors,\u201d he declared, linking the aggressions against Cuba,<\/p>\n

Venezuela, Palestine, and the American people themselves as expressions of a voracious capitalism. \u201cWe do not renounce the revolution, and we do not renounce the dream of a different world,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

Marcos Castillo, coordinator for Global Exchange, reaffirmed solidarity from the North. He reported that the U.S. delegation has undertaken fundraising and material collection efforts that have enabled the delivery of thousands of dollars\u2019 worth of medicines to various centers. \u201cHere, in this space, one feels and perceives what is missing in the United States\u2014and what seems to be dying there. They may attempt to impose an economic blockade, but love has arrived in Cuba,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n

In defense of Cuban sovereignty, he remarked: \u201cWhen have you ever seen Cuba attempt to bomb another country? When have you ever seen Cuba attempt to invade one? How, then, has it \u2018invaded\u2019 the world? With doctors, with medicines, with love, and with solidarity. No one can tell Cuba how to live\u2014no one but the Cuban people themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mar\u00eda Fernanda Carrascal, a member of the Colombian Congress, offered a moving testimony. \u201cHere, we bring not only material humanitarian aid; we also bring many willing hearts\u2014we bring an embrace,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She recalled Cuba\u2019s role as a guarantor in the Colombian peace talks and expressed gratitude for the training of Colombian doctors on the island. She warned against U.S. interference in Colombian politics and the threat of military intervention, and she called for international support for the process of change currently underway in her country.<\/p>\n

Daniel N\u00fa\u00f1ez, a Chilean senator, recalled the darkest moments in his nation\u2019s history: \u201cMany Chilean men and women are alive today\u2014they survived the horrors of the dictatorship\u2014thanks to the support they received from the Cuban people.\u201d He recounted how, during the Special Period, Cuban doctors saved lives in Chile, and he highlighted that following the 2010 earthquake, Cuba dispatched a medical brigade that worked there for over two months. \u201cSolidarity with Cuba at this moment is an ethical duty for Chilean society,\u201d he affirmed, characterizing the blockade as a form of collective punishment against the Cuban people.<\/p>\n

Claudia de la Cruz, Executive Director of IFCO\/Pastors for Peace, concluded the segment of international speakers with a speech of profound political significance. \u201cWe want you to know\u2014from the United States\u2014that we are very clear about who the enemies are. And the enemies are the very same ones who seek to stifle the dream: the collective construction of this socialist project called Cuba,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n

He noted that the task is to bring the reality and voices of the Cuban people to the forefront in order to strengthen an anti-imperialist struggle\u2014a historical responsibility of the American people. \u201cCuba will triumph. And we\u2014men and women alike\u2014will stand with you until victory,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

At the conclusion of the gathering, the Cuban president expressed his gratitude for the support of international organizations; he also explained how democracy functions in Cuba and denounced the falsehoods being fabricated against the Island.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, we are speaking about the present and the future. Here, we are speaking about the present and the future of the world. It is the world we wish to transform,\u201d the president stated.<\/p>\n

D\u00edaz-Canel acknowledged those present one by one: the Italian Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba, Members of the European Parliament, national deputies, senators, and political forces such as the Uruguayan Popular Party, the French Communist Party, the Communist Party of Brazil, the Popular Socialist Party, and social movements from the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for that intent and for your love for Cuba.\u00a0 This embrace you offer us\u2014this joy\u2014serves as a ratification from a million people,\u201d he expressed.<\/p>\n

The president reviewed the nation\u2019s history, from the early days of the Revolution and the struggle against Batista to the 66 years of the blockade. He then spoke of the people of today: \u201cThat Revolution, together with the people of today\u2014a people possessed of creative resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then posed a question: How many nations in the world could withstand a blockade like the one Cuba endures?<\/p>\n

He answered his own question: \u201cCould they still be resisting?\u00a0 Could they still be dreaming?\u00a0 Could they still be planning?\u00a0 We have not lost our programs; we have not lost our dreams.\u00a0 We continue to seek solutions; we are not sitting idly by.\u201d\u00a0 D\u00edaz-Canel also spoke of the aggressions Cuba has endured: terrorist attacks, manipulation campaigns, and the U.S. military presence in the region.\u00a0 He recalled the case of the Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who were unjustly imprisoned in the United States and returned thanks to an international campaign.<\/p>\n

And, visibly moved, he added: \u201cYou are building the bridges that the empire cannot destroy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President insisted that international solidarity has served as a shield. \u201cEvery flag the enemy sees here is a battle flag. Every raised hand is a bulwark against the colonial mindset that seeks to entrench a generalized war,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

D\u00edaz-Canel issued a warning regarding the current era: \u201cIf we address the world today, we must state that what we face is a fourth-generation war\u2014an unconventional war, a war of disinformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that the objective of this war is \u201cto sever our ties to our historical and cultural roots.\u201d<\/p>\n

To isolate Cuba, he argued, is to legitimize the criminal blockade. Yet, he expressed his gratitude to those present: \u201cHere, you stand shoulder to shoulder with this people\u2014for all time. But your merit is even greater, for you have come to stand with us during our most difficult and complex moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President addressed the falsehoods circulating about Cuba. One such claim is that the Revolutionary Government seized power illegitimately. \u201cNothing could be further from the truth,\u201d he asserted, \u201cfor the Cuban Revolution overthrew a military dictatorship.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also dismantled the lie that human rights are not respected in Cuba. \u201cThe greatest manifestation of a human rights violation is the criminal blockade,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

And he issued a challenge: \u201cAsk any Cuban whether the blockade does not exist\u2014whether it does not affect them every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

D\u00edaz-Canel also refuted the claim that Cuba is a terrorist state: \u201cWe have, in fact, been victims of terrorism\u2014throughout the entire history of the Revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

The President paid tribute to the valor of Cuba\u2019s combatants. He cited the thwarted infiltration attempt along the coast of Villa Clara, as well as the dignified conduct of the Cuban combatants who fell in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leadership of the Revolution acts in unity, and its decisions are made collectively,\u201d he stated. \u201cWhat we do have here is ethics and morality. And rest assured that we will give our lives, if necessary, to defend our Homeland.\u201d<\/p>\n

He concluded with an expression of gratitude: \u201cInfinite thanks for not leaving us alone.\u00a0 We are in difficult times \u2014 times, however, of defining moments for saving the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Guantanamo.- In a gathering charged with symbolism and emotion, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel Berm\u00fadez, presided over a day of brotherhood this Friday at the Palace of Conventions in Havana with members of the *Nuestra Am\u00e9rica* Convoy. The initiative \u2014 which defies the energy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba","category-internacionales"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15589"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15593,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15589\/revisions\/15593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioguantanamo.icrt.cu\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}