Cuban Revolution and Global Solidarity

There is more democracy enjoyed by the people in a one party state, in a one party

socialist and communist state that Cuba has achieved.

For me personally, being there on free and liberated land, it was beautiful.

I saw how the Cuban people are innovative, they're steadfast,

and it reminded me of back home.

It reminded me of how strong,

steadfast, and resolute Palestinians are.

I felt like a human being.

It felt beautiful to be free, to be on liberated land.

We believe in internationalist struggle and solidarity.

We'll get into that more a little bit later,

but this idea that all of our struggles are bound up together,

and anything we do to

chip away at imperialism and oppression,

it chips away at imperialism and oppression for everyone.

I could understand why so many of our freedom fighters or resistance

fighters would

come to Cuba, escaping the persecution of the U S. empire.

After the revolution, they took back the land, they took back the industry,

they reduced homelessness to almost nothing,

and drastically increased literacy,

and guaranteed free education, free healthcare,

and subsidized housing to the people.

And we were also just really emotionally overwhelmed by

the amount of availability and access of Cuban healthcare to everyone there.

By doing so, they also felt like they were taking part in it,

which is, what, super democratic.

It's like, if people feel like they're actually being heard,

they're going to be very excited to participate in these things.

And that land that was owned by the United States,

was in the industries that were owned by the United States

were taken back by the Cuban people.

As we recognize as Brigadistas,

it's very important for us to return back to the belly of the beast, to take

the lessons that we've learned to both end this blockade,

but also to share strategies to develop a revolutionary future alongside

our comrades, our friends, families, our neighbors.

Right, but the world as a whole,

supports Cuba, okay?

Year after year after year,

the world supports Cuba and it's only two illegal

occupations,

colonizers who have voted against the resolution to free

Cuba from this illegal and violent blockade.

And it was just really beautiful for me as someone who does a lot of mutual aid and

community care within the trans community in

the so called United States to see people who are very aligned with the type of care

that I find myself doing,

who are revolutionary

people participating in the revolution

by also filling in the gaps that the US government

creates in the lives of Cuban people.

Here in the United States,

our representatives tend to live in gated communities,

segregated communities,

living amongst wealthier neighborhoods

or maybe having summer homes or condos and high rises.

And here, representatives, even the presidents

are everyday working people. It's a collective process.

It is a very much for the people and by the people.

Cuba has Cuba is known for having engaged

in acts of international solidarity,

literally sending soldiers to fight in national liberation wars

around the world, especially in Africa.

Cuba really suffered when the USSR fell.

That really damaged its economy.

And there is a lot

of work for us to do to dismantle this empire. But the work is worthwhile.

And I really think that we should be inspired by

the Cuban Revolution,

which has persisted for 67 years.

And let's do all that we can to ensure that Cubans

remain free,

that Palestine is going to be free, that we will free our continent of Africa.

We will free every indigenous nation,

everywhere there are free people in the world.

We will return to our independence

and our sovereignty and really dismantle the empire that has stolen that from us.