Join the Peace Caravan to Cuba this July

Join the
IFCO/Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba this July


Many people seem to think that big changes in
US-Cuba policy have already taken place! But the
truth is that - except for Cuban American family
travel – nothing has really changed.

The blockade is still in place. Hurricane
reconstruction supplies and other essential goods
are still prohibited to come from the US. The
travel ban is still in place. Cuba is still on
the US government’s terrorist list while the real
anti-terrorists, the Cuban 5, remain in prison.
Guantanamo Bay remains illegally occupied.

A few weeks ago there was a flurry of statements
from Latin American presidents, US politicians on
both sides of the House, business leaders,
retired US generals, and to a degree President
Obama, saying it is time for the US to change
policy on Cuba. Signatures are being gathered in
both houses of Congress for a bill that would
enable ALL US citizens to freely travel to Cuba
(House bill HR 874 / Senate bill S 428). It is
clear that there has never been such potential
for ending the 48 year old travel ban and blockade .

But in recent weeks it has gone quiet, and the
White House and US State Department have been
making discouraging noises about any further
steps on their part. It is clear that nothing
further will happen without a lot more pressure
from the grassroots. Which is why we are
organizing our 20th Friendshipment Caravan to
Cuba this July to both express our solidarity and
build momentum and pressure for a radical policy change.

We will spend 9 days visiting Cuba as it is
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
revolution while slowly rebuilding from the 3
devastating hurricanes that hit the island in the
Fall of 2008. We will be donating more than a
hundred tons of humanitarian aid to help with
hurricane reconstruction, as well as up to 10
school buses and trucks and, as Fidel would say,
millions of tons of love and solidarity.

This caravan will have 14 routes stopping in 140
cities throughout the US and Canada. At every
stop we will be talking to local people and local
media about the need to lobby their elected
representatives for a new Cuba policy. And when
we cross the border into Mexico, bound for Cuba,
we will be making a direct challenge to US policy
– taking ourselves and the aid to Cuba without a
US government license. The more people - the
bigger the statement we are making.

SO – we are calling on our supporters to make
this the year that you come to Cuba with us.

JOIN US when a vehicle passes through your city
sometime between July 3rd and 17th - or meet us
down in Texas on July 18th as we start
preparations for crossing the border. We will be
in Cuba July 24th – Aug 2nd and we will proudly
cross back into Texas the morning of August 3rd

JOIN US!!

To get an application form or further information

Email <mailto:cucaravan@igc.org >cucaravan@igc.org
Call 212-926-5757
Visit our website www.pastorsforpeace.org

IFCO/PASTORS FOR PEACE
418 West 145th Street, 3-FL.
New York NY 10031