Cuba Welcomes 46th Venceremos Brigade

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 20 (acn) The 29 members of the 46th contingent of the Venceremos Brigade arrived in Cuba over the last few hours, and were officially welcomed at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp in the province of Artemisa.

The group consists of young U.S. citizens or Latinos living in the United States and will work for 15 days in agriculture.
During the reception, Osmany Peña, member of the Municipal Bureau of the Cuban Communist Party in Caimito, explained the achievements of the territory in health, education, and social assistance, among other aspects, and invited them to the cultural evening to be held for the 62nd anniversary of the attack on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes garrisons.
Sandra Ramirez, an official of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), thanked the solidarity of the brigade and called to continue the struggle for the lifting of the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.
Ramirez added that although today the two countries re-established diplomatic relations the policy of supporting internal subversion remains intact, the radio and television war, the illegal occupation of Guantanamo and the economic war.
Cuba managed to re-establish these diplomatic bonds thanks to the strength and tenacity of its people and to the solidarity and support of forces such as the Venceremos Brigade, among many others, she concluded.
Chris Canik, one of the brigade members, said he joined the contingent because he wanted to challenge the blockade and exercise his constitutional right of traveling to the island, while Jonathan Montero, another member of the group, said he was admired by the spirit of resistance of the Cuban people.
The Venceremos Brigade came to Cuba for the first time in 1969 to participate in the sugar harvest, and following the express wish of U.S. groups to promote solidarity through physical work.
Since then, every year, on this date, a group of U.S. citizens maintains alive a tradition that has enabled more than 10,000 of them travel to Cuba without requesting permission, defying the blockade imposed by the United States.