Resistance group heads from Carbondale to Cuba

By Storey Mayer

Tuesday evening the Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba made a stop in Carbondale on its way to Cuba.

The Social Action Committee of Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship cohosted the event with the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois.

There was live music by a local Latin band HOT!Sauce, a free Cuban-inspired meal, and a message from Art Heitzer, a Milwaukee civil rights lawyer and chair of the Cuba Subcommittee of the National Lawyers Guild.

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Caravan to Cuba is a part of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) and began in the early ‘90s with two main purposes. The first to deliver materials such as powdered milk, medicines, Bibles, bicycles and school supplies with the second to campaign for the release of the embargo on Cuba.

“The mission of Caravan to Cuba is to show the friendship and solidarity between the United States and the people of Cuba by civil disobedience,” Heitzer said. “By bringing goods and traveling to Cuba we challenge the U.S. government.”

President Kennedy enacted the embargo in 1962, after Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba. The embargo restricts any travel or trade between Cuba and the United States and has lasted more than 50 years.

The journey to Cuba happens annually each summer. There are 14 different routes with prearranged stops at nearly 100 U.S. and Canadian cities. Often, they travel in bright, noticeable vehicles – generally buses.

Carbondale is one of the stops on the route.

Georgann Hartzog, member of the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois, said this is their form of non-violent resistance to what is percieved

as as an illegal or non-moral law. He said they have proudly hosted the event four times.

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“Absolutely it gets the government’s attention,” Hartzog said. “We hope people learn from these events, get involved and begin to donate money to the caravan.”

Cindy Buys, a law professor and director of international programs at SIU, supports the Caravan to Cuba’s mission. She has traveled to Cuba multiple times and has seen the effects of the embargo in action.

“They aren’t proud of the embargo in Cuba, it has harmed the average Cuban person and allowed them a lot less access to medicine and basic consumer goods,” Buys said. “I believe that engagement at this point would be more effective.”

Buys said she does foresee change in the future. With Fidel Castro no longer in power, the country has made major positive changes. Private businesses and freedoms of expression are now more openly allowed. Cuba even offers free medical school and training for thousands of financially burdened young people from all over the globe ? including the U.S. ? and is one of the leading countries in organic agriculture.

“I think this is a great chance for the US to reward Cuba for doing good things the needed to do,” Buys said. “And we should reciprocate by releasing the embargo.”

She said she strongly believes that multitudes of businesses could benefit from the release, especially the agricultural industries. Farm equipment could be sold to Cuba, which would make them a large trading partner and an overall economic benefit.

“Cuba is the world’s leaders in preventive medicine,” Heitzer said. “We have a lot to learn from them just as they could learn a lot from us.”

Heitzer said he does not see any negative coming from the release of the embargo. The only issues he believes could arise are issues of pride.

“People want to continue a policy that hasn’t worked for over 50 years,” Heitzer said. “All this just because they think it will look weak to change.”

IFCO/Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba will be making stops all over the nation on their way to Cuba encouraging citizens to become a part of the movement. To get involved, donate or find out where the Caravan to Cuba will be stopping contact 212-926-5757 or visit www.ifconews.org for more information.

“Learning about what is happening and advocating change is what we need to do,” Buys said. “Visit the website, get involved, contact the politicians and let people in Washington know that we care about this issue and want to see a change.”

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