Post from Community: MKE Cuban-Americans back July 25 caravan asking Biden to lift economic blockade on the Cuban people | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Arthur Heitzer
July 23, 2021
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In the wake of protests against food and medicine shortages in Cuba, Cuban-Americans and others In the Milwaukee area are demanding President Biden act now to reverse the continued US policy to “starve“ the people of Cuba. They will hold their fourth monthly caravan in support of the Cuban people on July 25 at 1 PM at the Mitchell Park Domes, which will coincide with a march from Miami to the White House by Cuban-Americans seeking an end to the US restrictions on their ability to visit with their relatives and send remittances.
Dr. Raul Galvan, who was born in Havana, noted the recent resolutions passed by the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors and others, in favor of repealing the embargo. “With the events taking place in Cuba this pastweek, it’s more important than ever to urge President Biden to take some leadership on eliminating the Embargo and alleviating the suffering of the Cuban people by immediately rescinding the additional restrictions imposed by our previous president.” The Milwaukee Journal last week ran an OpEd by Dr. Galvan.
Daniel Fonseca of Milwaukee, whose brother and other relatives live in Havana, described the painful divisions that his family and many others have suffered from restrictions which were severely tightened by the last administration, and have been fully continued under Biden. He stated “the cold war is over and the US is better than this. It’s time to lift the embargo on Cuba.”
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Amada Morales has a brother in Cuba who cannot get a medical device to allow him to speak, and has so far been unable to send him assistance due to the US restrictions. She also asks for fully normalized relations with our neighbor.
“Our demand is consistent with that of the international community, which just voted overwhelmingly on the ‘necessity’ of the US ending this 60 years of economic warfare. This economic blockade prevents Cuba from trading not only with the US, but also with third countries, and is opposed by 97% of Cuba’s population,” stated Atty. Art Heitzer, who represented four Milwaukee church members prosecuted by the US for visiting their sister church in Central Havana.
The car and bike caravan will take place on Sunday, July 25, with a send off rally at 1pm at the parking lot of the Mitchell Park Domes, 524 South Layton Blvd., Milwaukee 53215. In addition to Cuban-Americans, speakers will include Tony Baez who co-sponsored the unanimously adopted Milwaukee School Board resolution calling for normal relations, and a representative from Voces de la Frontera, the state’s leading immigrant rights organization, and sponsoring groups..
For more information, contact the Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba, www.wicuba.org, email: wicubacoalition@gmail.com, and Facebook (facebook.com/WisconsinCubaCoalition. See the July 25 Caravan on Facebook