Reflections On A Recent Visit To Cuba from Tarnel Abbott
“La Amistad Es Un Rayo De Sol En Un Dia Gris—Gracias”
“Friendship Is A Ray Of Sunlight On A Gray Day—Thank You” (from a card given to me by a child)
While we are in the throes of a fascist Coup d'état by the billionaires and their minions sending us into immediate chaos—at a time when millions of people in the U.S. are facing imminent economic and other harms—it is important to remember how Cuba has survived 66 years of U.S.-imposed economic blockade.
Under the first Trump presidency Cuba was listed as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” (SSOT) which caused enormous damage to the Cuban economy. In his final days in office, President Biden removed Cuba from the list. Now with a vicious Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Cuba is being hammered further:
- Re-listed on the SSOT
- Western Union barred from sending remittances
- Expansion of the illegal prison in the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo
We Can Expect More And Worse To Come
The Richmond Regla Friendship Committee (RRFC) has maintained a tenuous relationship with counterparts in Regla Cuba for 25 years. This last December (2024) we organized an official City of Richmond delegation of 26 people which included Mayor Eduardo Martinez and then Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez, Councilmember Cesar Zepeda, two city staffers, members of RRFC, and a wide range of community members. Our 10-day itinerary was a furious mix of visits to medical, cultural, educational, civic (nongovernmental), and mass organizations.
We brought thousands of dollars worth of donated medical supplies for the polyclinic in Regla and the Calixto Garcia Hospital. In Regla, we met with the Cuban Women’s Federation, visited the provincial library, and brought art and school supplies for the High School. We also had an exchange with the Mayor of Regla and members of the popular assembly where we were entertained by youth performing traditional Yoruba dance.
We donated a solar-powered cell phone charger to Regla’s Proyecto Orunmilla Anthropological team. We visited the National Ballet School, a modern dance troupe, the Latin American School of Medicine, CENESEX, an LGBT group that spoke about the status of rights under the new Family Code, two community art projects where we donated art supplies, and a parent/child education project.
Keeping Hope Alive Through Dreams And Art
My favorite visit was to a community project “SoñArte”, the words mean dream and art. We brought various art supplies and were entertained by young dancers and musicians. We were also given hand-painted cards and paintings. This volunteer-run arts program offers free cultural arts classes to community members, mainly elders and children. Dance, music, literature, and fine arts bring forward exuberant joy and hope, manifesting the very name “SonArte”. The project provides cultural entertainment for the community and sometimes a meeting space for neighborhood groups.
What we can learn from the Cubans is how to keep hope alive, how to dream for a better life for all, how to be resilient, how to struggle for survival when faced with crushing hard times, and how important international solidarity is.
For information about RRFC see: https://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/1046/Regla-Cuba.
Visit the Cuban art exhibit “Fidel y El Moncada: Vistos Por Canet” on display in council chambers through mid-April, if you are interested in a docent-led tour contact me at [email protected].