Top Issue 1-2024

22 October 2010

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Sierra Maestra Walk | Blog from Cuba: Meeting an old friend, Noelle Carrillo

THE delegation was delighted on Monday to get up early for an appointment with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.

We were met at party headquarters in the Palace of the Revolution by Noelle Carrillo, former Cuban Ambassador to Ireland. Noelle explained the current economic situation in Cuba and spoke passionately about the socialist ideals of the country.

The party is developing a policy to try to encourage agriculture in an effort to boost productivity. The strategy is designed to increase productivity from 30% to 70%. One interesting point Noelle made when we questioned him about the economic blockade imposed by the United States was the media coverage which describes the blockade as an ‘embargo’. The implication of this is that Cuba is somehow at fault, that Cuba is responsible for the imposition of the blockade when in fact the United States actively prevents other nations from trading with Cuba.

Noelle also raised the subtleties of media coverage regarding Fidel Castro – often he is not given his rightful title of President of Cuba, the media preferring ‘dictator’ or ‘communist leader’. Contrast this with how Barrack Obama is described: President Obama. No need to say which country; he is President of everybody, right?

Noelle went on to express his gratitude to Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún who has been part of an international petition signed by female parliamentarians calling on Michelle Obama  to grant visitation rights to the families of the Cuban Five. Bairbre has also raised the issue of their release at the European Parliament through various motions and debates.

Following our meeting with Noelle, we met the President and staff of ICAPP, the Cuban Ministry of External Relations.  The President, Kenia Cerrano Puig, explained how ICAPP was established after the triumph of the Revolution to build relationships between Cuba and other countries and organizations.

She spoke at length about the plight of the Cuban Five and their long incarceration in US prisons.  Two of the men have not seen their wives for over 12 years.  We explained that we had met some of the families during our tour of Havana and how the Irish had experienced similar miscarriages of justice in British courts with cases such as the Birmingham Six and Guildford Four.  We discussed the necessity for a broad-based international campaign of support in order to exert maximum pressure on the US gGovernment and we pledged to raise awareness of this cause in Ireland.

The highlight of our day was the commemoration at the Hunger Strike Monument in Havana. There we had the pleasure of meeting the men and women who maintain this monument year round.  We thanked them for their dedication.

Dale Moore addressed the gathering. He movingly recalled the period of the Hunger Strike and how the support of the Cuban people and Fidel Castro was an inspiration at that terrible time. Dale explained the need to support political prisoners and pledged assistance for the release of the Cuban Five.  A wreath was laid jointly by the president of ICAPP and Niall Binéad, himself a former political prisoner.

After the ceremony we went to the ICAPP friendship house for lunch where we also met by chance the General Secretary of the Communist Party of South Africa and we enjoyed listening to a school choir.

We then travelled to meet the Communist Youth League where they explained the important role of young people in maintaining the Revolution.  A question and answer session followed during which Ógra members of the group Marie Claire Devlin and Barry McColgan gained valuable information and ideas for our own youth movement.

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