Mexico City, May 3 (Prensa Latina) The 29th National Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba opened its doors today in Mexico, with calls to take action against the blockade imposed by the United States and to highlight the achievements of the island’s medical brigades.
At the opening of the two-day event in this capital, convened by the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, Nelson Ocaña, Counselor at the Havana Embassy here, considered these events to be spaces for the articulation of solidarity at the regional level.
They also allow for impactful actions to be projected in response to the Washington-led siege against the people of the Caribbean nation and the island’s inclusion on “the arbitrary and unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism.”
The diplomat referred to the complex situation currently facing President Donald Trump, who during his first administration implemented a policy of maximum pressure, reinforcing the blockade with 243 additional measures, following his return to the White House for his second term.
“Since January 20, 2025, it has reversed previous easing of sanctions and reinstated economic and immigration sanctions. The new US approach seeks by all means to cut off sources of financing and intensify the genocidal blockade,” he noted.
Among the new measures are the updating and expansion of the list of restricted Cuban entities, the reactivation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and the maximum limitation on the granting of visas for cultural, sports, academic, scientific, and other exchanges.
In addition, it decreed the restriction and suspension of visas for people linked to Cuban international cooperation programs, particularly those related to health.
“By threatening to deny visas to foreign officials, the United States government is trying to sabotage these Cuban medical missions. That’s why we cannot give up on our efforts to highlight the achievements of our wonderful army of white coats,” he emphasized.
During the opening ceremony, Julio Gerardo Padilla, a member of the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, reaffirmed his rejection of the blockade imposed by Washington for more than six decades and the inclusion of Cuba “on the spurious and nefarious list of state sponsors of terrorism.”
“Showing solidarity with Cuba means showing solidarity with the countries of the world. These are just causes,” he emphasized.
For her part, Idania Ramos, head of Mexico at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), reaffirmed her immense gratitude toward the North American nation.
She considered the event, which began this Saturday at the Futurama Cultural Center, to have special significance as it is the prelude to the IX Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, to be held from October 9 to 12 of this year, also in this capital, within the framework of the 65th anniversary of ICAP.
The event, which concludes tomorrow, is being attended by more than 230 delegates, including diplomats from Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Vietnam, and representatives from organizations such as the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico, the Communist Party, the Communist Youth Front, and the Association of Cubans Residing in Mexico.
jcm/las
