"Many in the US hope to see the lifting of the economic, financial and commercial blockade that Washington has maintained against Cuba for the past 45 years," said Reverend Lucius Walker, executive director of the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) and founder of Pastors for Peace.
Walker is leading the 17th "Friendshipment Caravan" which this time brought more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid to the Cuban people. "We could feel that sentiment during our tour of 48 US states where we received the solidarity and support gesture by the local population for the people of Cuba," said the Reverend.
Caravan member Elen Bernstein said that during their trip throughout the US, the "caravanistas" shared information about Cuba with local people and many joined in the opposition of the US blockade of Cuba. While the Bush administration has toughened measures against Cuba, the Pastors for Peace Caravan --under the slogan "Cuba is Our Neighbor"-- defied Washington's reprisals and made it to the island, pointed out round table participants.
"If I want to enjoy peace and justice, I have to create them myself," said Puerto Rican Luis Barrios, who is a criminal law professor at the University of New York. He described how the caravan crossed the US-Mexican border with no difficulties, although in previous years humanitarian aid was seized by border police. "We won and will continue to win. The US may be the world powerful empire, but it has its own weaknesses," said Barrios, noting "this is a action for justice; you can't just worship, you also have to put it in practice."
Meanwhile, Bonnie Mossey, a director of the Venceremos Brigade, said her group was in eastern Holguin and Granma provinces where they took part in voluntary agricultural work and learned Cuban historic progress. They learned about the Cuban people, about President Fidel Castro and the development of education on the island. "I am very proud to be a member of this brigade, which has played an important role in creating solidarity with Cuba," said the young American woman.
Ignacio Meneses, from the National Network of Solidarity with Cuba in the US, mentioned actions they are undertaking against the US economic blockade of the island and for the release of the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters held in US jails, The Cuban Five.
Finally, the Reverend Lucius Walker said that President George W. Bush likes to do things in secret, use the power he pretends to have, disregard real US authorities, "an example of that", said Walker, "is this new plan they launched against Cuba."
He said that for a president who will soon step down of power trying to annex the largest Caribbean island to the United States as no other US government was never able to do it, is a desperate and dangerous action.
"I do not think that he will be able to achieve his goal against the strong support Cuba receives from around the world and from the US people. The so-called Bush plan will crumble," said the Reverend Lucius Walker.