Cubans Denounce U.S. Military Escalation in the Caribbean

Thousands of Cubans gathered in Havana to show solidarity with Venezuela, calling for peace, sovereignty and unity in the face of U.S. aggression.

TRANSCRIPT

“Attacking Venezuela means attacking Cuba and all Latin American countries,” declared Elpidio Cordero, member of the Cuban Communist Party.

“We’re here because of our principles, our convictions, and because we will always support the Venezuelan people,” explained Ana Gloria Calderón, representative of the National Union of Education, Science and Sports.

“I couldn’t be anywhere else,” said Norma Goicochea, member of the Cuban Association of the United Nations. “Just as all Cubans are standing with Venezuela—defending its sovereignty, defending its independence—we are also defending the independence of the Caribbean. It is to follow the ideas of Simón Bolívar, José Martí, Hugo Chávez, and Fidel Castro.”

“What are they doing in Venezuela?” asked Raymel Pérez, plant manager at Envametal Company. “They’re trying to overthrow a legitimate government to seize its natural resources. It’s the same thing they did in Iraq and in Syria.”

“The peoples of Venezuela and Cuba are strong, united, and peace-loving,” affirmed Lilian Cárdenas, employee of the Ministry of Culture.

“The deployment of U.S. troops to the Caribbean is a clear sign of a new military escalation in an area that has been declared a peace zone for over seventy years,” warned Cristian Jiménez, international relations student. “This poses a threat not only to Venezuela but also to Cuba and the rest of Latin America.”

“As José Martí said, ‘From the Río Grande to Patagonia, we are one America,’” recalled Gustavo Pérez of the Cuban Communist Party. “That’s why we support Venezuela—in a revolutionary spirit, for the friendship we share, and for the help we will provide if the U.S. imperialists dare to attack the country.”

“I believe that the unity of the peoples of Latin America—and above all, the unity between Cubans and Venezuelans—will prevent any war,” concluded Elizardo Garcés, president of the People’s Council of Plaza de la Revolución. “Justice will prevail over fascism.”