South Asian left mobilizes in solidarity with Cuba on Moncada anniversary

Communists, left parties, and student movements in different countries in South Asia organized solidarity gatherings for socialist Cuba and pressed their governments to denounce the ongoing US assaults on the island nation.

In India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) organized a public meeting in New Delhi to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Moncada Barracks attack on Sunday, July 26, while the Mazdoor Kisan Party (MKP) and Progressive Student Federation (PSF) held a special art exhibition in Lahore to mark the hundredth birth anniversary of Fidel Castro.

The Moncada Barracks attack, led by Fidel on July 26, 1953, marked the beginning of Cuba’s socialist revolution, led by the July 26 Movement, which ultimately triumphed on January 1, 1959, establishing a socialist government in the country.

The solidarity meeting in New Delhi was attended by hundreds of people, including students. The participants raised the issue of the ongoing US attacks on Cuba which have caused a massive humanitarian crisis in the country and expressed solidarity with the people of the island nation.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the CPI (M), the All India Women’s Association (AIDWA), and the Student Federation of India (SFI), among others.

The Cuban ambassador to India, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, addressed the gathering talking about the inspiring events of “Moncada Day,” as it is popularly known. He also refuted the propaganda about the alleged failures of the socialist government in Cuba and underlined its historic achievements.

Read more: “This is our Moncada, our Bay of Pigs,” says young Cuban communist leader

Cuba has protected its sovereignty, welfare system and its socialist government despite the decades-long US sanctions and blockade, Aguilera said.

The Cuban people have refused to give up their hard-won independence and revolutionary government despite facing tremendous hardships such as shortages of food and medicine, lack of power and restrictions on their movement created by the illegal sanctions and blockade imposed by the US, Aguilera acknowledged.

He thanked the peoples’ movements worldwide and India in particular for their support for the revolutionary government.

Read more: US imposes even more sanctions on Cuba

Aguilera underlined that due to hyper-imperialism it is becoming more and more important today for the progressive movements across the world to build international alliances in order to protect global peace, people’s self-determination, and to promote socialism.

Arun Kumar, member of the CPI (M) polit bureau, condemned the illegal blockade on Cuba imposed by the US under the Donald Trump administration and demanded the Indian government come out in open support of Cuba and its people against this imperialist assault.

He rejected the repeated propaganda spread by mainstream media on behalf of the hegemonic powers about the failures of Cuba’s socialist system by citing examples of its extraordinary achievements in developing a vibrant public health system, which also provides support to distressed people across the globe without any discrimination.

Fidel’s centenary in Lahore

On the eve of Moncada Day, or the National Rebellion Day, a special art exhibition on the life of Fidel and a solidarity public meeting was organized by the MKP and PSF in Lahore, which was attended by scores of workers, peasants, and students.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Cuban ambassador to Pakistan Damián Cordero who also addressed the gathering. He too expressed gratitude to the people of Pakistan for standing with Cuba and underlined the need for more such popular expressions of support in the context of relentless imperialist assaults.

The ambassador was presented with a list of 108 signatures for the “I Sign for Cuba” campaign launched by various trade union federations in Cuba and Latin America to gather support against US imperialist assaults.