By Mark Friedman
It has been a tradition that delegations from the United States visiting Cuba bring donations of medical, marine, scientific or educational/school supplies to give our colleagues there who, due to the 60-plus year US economic blockade, are unable to secure many of these items. Or they are extremely expensive since they must go through a third nation, with high transportation, third-party costs.
Washington’s bipartisan economic and political war aims to increase hardship for the Cuban people and overturn their sovereign government. We should promote the normalization of US-Cuban relations and end all economic and travel sanctions. This would benefit the people of both countries. (personal opinion-not a delegation position)
The scientific or marine equipment need not be new. They are definitely interested in any type of Marine research equipment: hydrometers, Secchi disks, thermometers, plankton tow nets, aquarium and veterinarian (marine or otherwise) medicines and supplies.
Medical supplies can really be anything. Believe it or not, they cannot even buy aspirin from the US! The sanctions and bans on travel and trade were increased to 243 under Trump and unfortunately maintained by Biden.
There is no US government preventing us from bringing material aid when we go to Cuba on April 26 for public conferences at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana on climate change and ocean plastic pollution.
In fact, there are large annual trips organized by IFCO/Pastors for Peace, as well as many religious, scientific and educational organizations that have relationships with Cuban entities.
Thanks for considering this request.
When our last marine delegation went in June 2019, the Cuban educators at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana Marine Studies Institute were so appreciative of these items—many of which were bought at a 99 cents store but inaccessible to them!
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media