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Pastors for Peace announced a partial victory today when its16th caravan crossed the International Bridge from Reynosa, MX into Hidalgo, TX after returning from Cuba. But there is still no word about release of the computers seized from the caravan's cargo last week. The caravanistas' energy and motivation were very high last night when they returned from Cuba to Reynosa, MX, and then assembled this morning for their 'reverse challenge' to the US blockade against Cuba. As the caravanistas crossed the International Bridge in two school buses, supporters of the caravan in Reynosa accompanied them across the bridge, chanting "Cuba si, bloqueo no!" Homeland Security officers spent nearly three hours interrogating caravan participants about the details of their trip, and two more hours searching every item of their personal luggage. But in the end,nothing was seized from the caravanistas, and all of them are back home in the US. "Given that the US government was committed to completely stopping us this year, today really was a total victory for us," said Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace. "It is clear that public outrage over the seizure of the computers last week,as well as the outrage over the items that were seized from us last year, forced the US government to back down when we met them at the border today." Nearly 140 tons of aid for Cuba crossed the border when the caravan left the US last week. But US Customs agents, acting on orders of the US Commerce Department, seized 43 boxes of aid containing toner cartridges, cables, keyboards, modems, and about a dozen second-hand computers. Another 75 boxes of computer-related aid remain in Hidalgo, TX, along with a small team of caravanistas organizing a growing |
national campaign to win the release
of the seized aid for delivery to Cuba. The campaign to free the
computers continues this week, with the added energy of all the
caravanistas who have just come home from As a part of its 'reverse challenge' of US sanctions against Cuba, the caravan brought back these Cuban items:
"This trip to Cuba had tremendous significance," said Rev.Thomas Smith, president of the board of directors of IFCO/Pastors for Peace and pastor of the Monumental Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, PA. "Every time we visit Cuba we're breaking the information blockade." As a matter of moral principle, Pastors for Peace refuses to request or accept a license from the US government to travel to Cuba or to deliver humanitarian aid to that island nation. "Cuba is not our enemy, and Cuba is not a threat. We refuse to be complicit with the aim of the Bush administration to force Cuba into adopting a so-called 'free-market' economy that would be dominated by US interests," said Rev. Walker. Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), an ecumenical agency based in Harlem, NYC, which has been working for social and economic justice since 1967. |
| Update
from Hidalgo Dateline: 7/28/05 |
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 Members
of the Pastors for Peace Caravan held a prayer vigil yesterday along
the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge, between Texas and Mexico,
calling for the release of 43 boxes of humanitarian aid seized by
Customs last Thursday. The vigil was attended by numerous members
of local US and Mexican organizations. Solidarity vigils were held
in cities across the country. At a press conference in New York, Congressman
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Charles Rangel issued a statement in support of the Caravan, stating that “with thousands of Cuban men, women and children in need, it is unconscionable that we would waste resources, which could be applied to the war on terrorism, to harass peace-loving, non-violent people whose only desire is to help where help is needed.” Today marks one-week since the confiscation, and Pastors for Peace has yet to receive any word as to if and when the aid will be released. 9 Caravan members remain in Hidalgo, TX, fighting for the release of the aid. The group now prepares for the re-entry and reverse challenge of the approximate 120-member Caravan, which returns to the US from Cuba on Monday. |
US border guards, at Commerce Department's direction, confiscate computers at the US border.
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The first and largest group of the Caravan has arrived in Cuba! They are all safe and sound and on the ground!
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Rev. Walker, Father Barrios.
Ellen, and a few other Caravanistas and their Texas supporters remain
at the border with the remaining aid. They are well supported and
elated at the support and press coverage we are receiving so far.
Keep up the good work! Lucia Bruno |
Cuba Caravan arrives to Tampico, Mexico safely, with aid en route to Cuba 11am, Saturday, july 23, 2005 |
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| Fight for Computers continues
in the US The Caravan had finally rolled out of the border town, Reynosa, around 1pm yesterday, after long hours at the Mexican customs office. Caravanistas were forced to have their passports copied by the Mexican officials, which is far from ordinary. The director of the office, Justo Ayala, said that it was routine for large groups, but Caravanistas said that it has never been the case before. With 90% of the humanitarian aid in Mexico and soon to be headed off to Cuba, the struggle now turns to Hidalgo, Texas, where a small group of Caravanistas has begun an international campaign to free the computers confiscated by the Department of Commerce, and force the Government to allow the all of the computers to head on to the Cuban children they are destined for. WE NEED YOU TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THIS CAMPAIGN
AND MAKE THESE CALLS:
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Call Mr. Turner, Director of Enforcement at the Commerce Department (202/482-5036), and demand that the computers be allowed to go to Cuba. Mobilize every network and organization you know; ask them to make these same calls, and publicize this story! |
 Message
fromRev. Lucius Walker Dateline: 7/22/05 |
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Dear Friends: Many thanks to our supporters from throughout the world! We are gratified and deeply moved by the speed and efficiency that all of you demonstrated as you called Washington, your legislators, the press, your phone trees and email lists. It has been astonishing to see the exposure and the support that the 16th Friendshipment Caravan has received! As you have probably heard by now, most of the aid and caravan participants have crossed the border into Mexico and are on their way to Tampico! They will deliver their solidarity, their love and their cargo to Cuba within the next few days. They could not have accomplished this immense task without the support of our network in the US and abroad. Thank you! |
But the struggle is not over! There are still a handful of Pastors for Peace here in Texas with computers and other items that we believe the Commerce Department will seize. We are determined to deliver this humanitarian aid to Cuba. We are united in our mission to break this blockade! We need your continued support to make this happen! So keep making those phone calls! Keep the momentum going! Our spirits are high and our resolve is deep. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, |
| Humanitarian
Aid from Rochester destined for Cuba Waylaid at the US/Mexico Border
Dateline: 7/21/05 |
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After people from all over the US, including the Finger Lakes area spent months collecting urgently-needed medical supplies and other humanitarian aid for the people of Cuba, the US Department of Commerce has put a halt to the shipment’s progress and announced that they will inspect each and every box included in the 140 ton caravan. US officials insist that any “un-licensable” items, such as computers or calculators will be confiscated. Medical supplies will be allowed to pass once proper licensing is secured. As a matter of principle, Pastors for Peace, the organization that has coordinated the annual shipment since 1993 has consistently refused to acquire a license from the US government. “To act upon Biblical command to ‘act not in word, but in deed,’ and to ‘feed the hungry, clothe the naked and provide shelter to the homeless’ is a matter of faith and conscience” and therefore out of the jurisdiction of the Federal government according to Linda Beckiel Ratcliffe, legal council for Pastors for Peace. As of midnight, Thursday night, “One bus was inspected and Commerce Department officials seized computers, keyboards and anything they considered electronic,” According to Reverend Lucius Walker, who is leading the humanitarian effort. “The second bus was emptied of aid by caravanistas who carried our precious humanitarian cargo over the border by hand into Mexico. There are now two busses that have crossed over into Mexico.” Walker added, “It's amazing, that in 2005, our government would expend this much energy and so many resources trying to prevent us from delivering much needed aid to our brothers and sisters in Cuba. We are united. We are resolved and we are ready to deliver this aid to Cuba!” |
The Rochester Committee on Latin America (ROCLA) coordinated the collection of humanitarian aid in the Finger Lakes area. Spokesman John Locke said, “While the Bush Administration talks about ‘the culture of life,’ their policies toward Cuba have consistently shown that it is little more than talk. Meanwhile, the people of Rochester and the surrounding area know that compassion means putting politics aside and helping our neighbors.” After the devastating effects of Hurricane Dennis, which killed at least 16 people and destroyed 150,000 homes and buildings in Cuba, prompt delivery of the humanitarian aid is especially crucial. “The US Government is hindering our efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people of Cuba,” Locke said. “Of course, they’ve had 46 years of practice, so they’re extremely efficient at it.” Locke was referring to the 46-year-old US Embargo, which has been condemned by the international community and has had devastating effects on the people of Cuba, while doing little to achieve US foreign policy goals. ROCLA, a task force of Metro Justice has mobilized their membership, as have other humanitarian groups associated with Pastors for Peace all over the world, and will spend the next 24 hours calling and emailing government officials and requesting that the caravan be allowed to cross into Mexico, where the cargo will be shipped on to Cuba. “This is not about Fidel Castro, Communism, or the Cuban-American community,” Locke said. “It’s about Americans helping those who desperately need it. Aside from being the right thing to do, it’s also simply good diplomacy.” For more information on Pastors for Peace, go to www.ifconews.org. |
Pastors
for Peace Celebrates Another Victory!
Largest
Group of Caravan Arrives in Cuba
