The first six months of Barack Obama’s tenure as president has seen the most drastic changes to U.S. policy toward Cuba in more than 50 years. But for a group of local and international volunteers, the president’s move to relax restrictions on family travel to the communist country is “commendable, but it is not enough.”
The Pastors for Peace program, as part of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, has made its goal the end of all trade and travel restrictions imposed by the United States on Cuba. This year, more than 130 volunteers, six of whom are from Santa Cruz County, will bring humanitarian aid supplies to the spurned island state. A portion of the “Friendshipment Caravan” leaves from Watsonville on July 10 and will take one of 14 routes through 47 states and Canada, collecting building supplies and food along the way and converging at McAllen, Texas on July 22 before illegally traveling to Cuba and handing out the supplies.
“We must continue to keep the pressure on—to end the blockade, to normalize relations with Cuba and to engage in dialogue based in mutual respect, rather than our insisting on undermining Cuba’s sovereignty,” says Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., founder of IFCO, according to a press release published the group. “President Obama has taken a small first step to change U.S.-Cuba policy. But as people of faith and conscience, it is important that we make our voices heard in favor of even stronger measures for reconciliation and normalized relations.”
The trip marks the 20th time since PFP was founded in 1992 that the group has staged illegal aid deliveries to the embargoed country. Santa Cruzans interested in helping the group should contact Nancy Abbey at nabbey@cruzio.com.