Government Threatens to Prosecute Union Activists for Traveling to Cuba

[XXPANTHAXX]

The Bush administration has threatened to bring criminal
charges against a group of U.S. trade unionists who are
traveling to Cuba to participate in the International
Conference to Confront Neoliberal Globalization – FTAA. This
conference will take place in Havana, Cuba during the last
week of April 2005 at the same time as Cuba Action Day. The
group includes members of UAW, SEIU, AFSCME, UNITE,
Teamsters, community leaders and members of peace
organizations.

The US/Cuba Labor Exchange received a letter from the Office
of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ordering them to immediately
"Cease and Desist" all activities relating to travel to Cuba.
The order specifically prohibited travel to attend the
conference against the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas
(FTAA).

The U.S. government and the Bush administration are trying to
impose the FTAA throughout all of the countries of the
Americas. In many countries, poor and working people don't
want the FTAA policies and are fighting against them. Cities
across the United States like Detroit where the US/Cuba Labor
Exchange is based are struggling against the same false
privatization "solutions". It seems ironic that the Bush
administration is determined to stop a group of peaceful U.S.
trade unionists from traveling to Cuba when corporations can
move freely from one country to another transferring capital,
technology and jobs at lightening speed.

Human and constitutional rights don't exist on paper. To be
real, rights must be exercised. In this spirit, the US Cuba
Labor Exchange continues to encourage international
discussion, exchange and solidarity between workers in Cuba
and the United States. We will continue to see for ourselves
the realities faced by workers in other countries, to publish
our findings and demand that the U.S. government grant entry
to Cuban union leaders whose visa applications are routinely
denied.

The U.S. Congress has repeatedly voted against enforcing the
regulations banning travel to Cuba, but the amendments are
undemocratically removed from the final legislation for the
Presidential signature. On April 26 and 27 people of all
walks of life will gather in Washington, D.C. for Cuba Action
Day to discuss with their Representatives and Senators ending
the trade and travel ban. The time to end the blockade of
Cuba is now. In the words of the great African-American
abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, without struggle there is
no progress.

Don't lose it, Use it! Support exercising your right to
travel and associate with the people of Cuba.

Support the US Cuba Labor Exchange when they return. Join the
emergency response network by sending email to the following
address: laborexchange@aol.com. Include your contact
information, what you can do to help, where you live and best
phone number to reach you if the government creates an
emergency.

Send bail/legal fund pledges or contributions to: Justice for
Cuba Coalition, PO Box 39188, Redford,MI 48239.