By Orlando Oramas León on November 16, 2021
Gail Walker speaks to the media upon the arrival of the Caravan Photo: Yaimi Ravelo.
At a time when the blockade against Cuba is getting tighter and when Washington intends to build a wall around the Caribbean island, the Pastors for Peace Caravan arrived from the United States — an antidote to the blockade of the Empire.
Their absence has been for a period of time imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was not a silent separation. The solidarity of these representatives of the best of the American people carried out other actions to maintain contact with the Cuban people and their Revolution.
With the 75 caravanistas — many of them young people who had never set foot on Cuban soil — the spirit of Lucius Walker, the inspiration and founder of this Bridge of Love, returned once again, in the firmness and commitment of his daughter Gail Walker with many other veteran compañeros of the cause.
Soon after their arrival Gail, who is IFCO’s executive director, told reporters: “We have brought with us this lantern because Cuba is the light. Cuba lights the way. Cuba is a shining example of health, of education. In many fields, Cuba is the light that illuminates us. Cuba is not alone. Cuba has friends. It doesn’t matter what those who hate us say. Those who say they hate Cuba or do not love it. We are here to follow that light and help it.”
Pastors for Peace is a project developed by the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), founded in response to the aggressive policy of the Republican administration of Ronald Reagan against Latin American countries, particularly those of Central America and the Caribbean.
Faced with the dirty war in Central America and the unbridled hostility against Cuba, the caravan was born in 1988 and has been traveling to Cuba with its cargo of solidarity since 1992.
The thirty-first of these expeditions arrived in Cuba on Monday with a message of love, peace and unity between both peoples, at the time when the official policy of the White House insists on separating them and cutting their historical and natural links.
They arrived at a moment of aggression against Cuba and in the midst of a fierce media war, which falsely claims that chaos and repression reign in Cuba.
They landed in Havana on November 15th, at the time when Miami predicted that the people would take to the streets to overthrow the Revolution.
They witnessed the calm, peaceful and festive day, when all Cubans celebrated the return to the new normality after successfully reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and keeping the virus at bay.
They experienced the return of thousands of students to schools, the reopening of airports to travelers and tourists from all over the world and the cultural activities attended by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who also took part in the traditional evening ceremony for the 502nd anniversary of San Cristóbal de La Habana — Havana, the Cuban capital.
It was not by chance that one of the first activities of the Pastors for Peace caravanistas on Tuesday was to visit the Museum of the Denunciation, which records the varied and criminal facets of the undeclared war of the United States against Cuba.
“I knew about this war, but I was not aware that the U.S. government would go to such extremes in its eagerness to subdue the Cubans.” This is what a member of the Pastors’ delegation told Cuban television.
“We are happy and it is a pleasure for us to be back here in Cuba. We are bringing caravanistas from 20 different states and this is a work that has been building for many months. But this is not just about Pastors for Peace. This is about the entire U.S. community that wants to be here with you today, that wants to share with you this opening,” commented another member of the Caravan.
It was a special day that reignites the historic relationship between IFCO-Pastors for Peace and related groups with that sponsor projects like the one that trains young medical students to become doctors and return to serve their communities in the United States.
This is what happens with bridges when they go both ways.
Orlando Oramas León is a Cuban journalist and author of the books “Raúl Roa, periodismo y Revolución”, “Pohanohara, cubanos en Paraguay” and “Cuentos del Arañero.”
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – Cuba