Cuba solidarity event in Harlem rejects U.S. blockade

Hundreds of peace activists, progressive leaders, artists, and Cuban Americans gathered at New York’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for a solidarity event titled ‘Voices for Peace: Cuba Is Not a Threat.’ The gathering aimed to reject the United States blockade against Cuba and oppose potential military intervention against the island.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the meeting, stating, ‘Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is.’ He warned that U.S. military intervention would constitute an international crime resulting in ‘death, pain, and terrible destruction.’ The event occurred amid intensifying tensions, with Cuba denouncing U.S. energy blockades and fuel shipment restrictions.

The event was organized by groups including The People’s Forum, the ANSWER Coalition, and Cubans4Cuba. Organizers stated the gathering was intended to demonstrate that not all U.S. citizens or Cuban Americans support Washington’s current policies toward Cuba, challenging the notion that interventionist political figures represent the entire Cuban-American community.