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8 June, 2026 We hadn’t even arrived in Mexico yet to represent the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) at the XIII Congress of the Latin American Federation of Journalists when we received our first embrace and expression of solidarity and affection during a layover at Tucumán Airport: “Long live Cuba, Damn it!” Nelson del Castillo, then Secretary General of the continental organization, told us after the handshake with his wife, in which we felt the full brotherhood of our Puerto Rican colleagues. The phrase was shouted again in a text by Juan Carlos Camaño, respected and admired president of FELAP until this event, in a message to journalists across the continent included in a text reviewing the organization’s 50 years, which are being celebrated with this event. The text, which extols the principles and political, social, cultural, and professional practices of the Federation since its founding in 1976, concludes by saying that what is important today is to show solidarity with UPEC and repeats the cry of “Long live Cuba, Damn it!” Although not always in that tone, the one thing that was not lacking in the lead-up to the opening of the congress, which began this Saturday in Cuernavaca, Morelos, was concern about the criminal effects of the collective punishment that Cuba faces from the United States government and the impact of this crime on journalists, the media, and society as a whole. Questions and expressions of solidarity arose at almost every moment, in formal and informal encounters. There were even those who asked Tubal Páez Hernández, Honorary President of FELAP and UPEC, and myself, to take photos with us and tell us that one of the purposes of their participation in this continental gathering was precisely to meet with their Cuban brothers and sisters, express their support, and their willingness to help. Leandro Torres, Secretary General of the Buenos Aires Press Workers Union (UTBA), an organization with a rich history of brotherhood with Cuba, emphasized this at the opening of the Congress on Saturday evening, to the applause of representatives from other countries present, such as Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and the Mexican hosts—the Federation of Journalists’ Associations of Mexico (FAPERME) and its College of Journalism Graduates—whose organizational efforts, hospitality, and welcome were recognized by the attendees. These expressions of love for Cuba were witnessed by our country’s diplomatic representatives in Mexico, led by Ambassador Eugenio Martínez Enriquez, who met with their colleagues from the region. Tubal Páez deeply appreciated the expressions of support and recounted the malice and criminality of the measures imposed on Cuba by the United States, which will not break the dignity and patriotism of the Cuban people, despite the campaigns of manipulation and lies to which they are subjected by the distorting machinery of imperialism. The gravity of the moment facing humanity was precisely the focus of the opening remarks of the Dominican colleague and current ambassador to Mexico, who was a member of FELAP in its early days. Juan Bolívar Díaz Santana denounced the profound crisis facing journalism, politics, and multilateralism in our world, to the point, he emphasized, that the only certainty we have is nothing less than uncertainty. He emphasized that confusion and manipulation prevail. He warned that we are living in a period of turbulence, a dramatic concentration of wealth, and that countries that once presented themselves as beacons of democracy now represent the very opposite in their attempt to impose themselves on others. At the opening of the Congress, a message from Juan Carlos Camaño was announced, in which he stated that, due to health reasons and the need for renewal of FELAP’s leadership to increase its influence in the difficult conditions of today’s world, he would be stepping down as head of the organization. The message had been presented to the FELAP board a few hours earlier, and, as at the opening, it elicited admiration and applause from those present, who recognized Camaño’s leadership in keeping the regional entity alive when others would have presumed its demise. The proposal, which has already received the approval of representatives from the participating organizations, as well as those from Venezuela, Peru, Nicaragua, Panama, and Ecuador, who expressed their opinions through audiovisual messages, is for FELAP to have a board of directors comprised of representatives from five countries, with a general coordinator. This leadership will be announced this Sunday at the closing of the event. Following the opening session, attendees worked in three committees to address topics such as Press and Communication, Youth, New Technologies and Training, and Health and Gender. The results of these analyses and the resulting proposals will also be presented this Sunday. On Saturday, congress attendees toured the impressive World Heritage Site of Xochicalco, the cradle of

Peoples of African descent in Brazil support Cuba against the blockade
written by Ed Newman June 7, 2026

The National Meeting of the Cultures of Peoples of African Descent concludes its sessions in Minas Gerais with a campaign to donate medical supplies and a firm condemnation of the US economic blockade against the Caribbean island.

More than 500 delegates from Brazil and eight other countries concluded the largest gathering of Afro-Cuban communities this Sunday, June 7, in the municipality of Contagem, demanding an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

After four days of discussions in Minas Gerais, participants in the largest forum in Latin America drafted a proposal of popular demands. This document, intended as a platform for social mobilization, will be presented to the political candidates running in Brazil’s general elections this October.

The closing session became a space for international solidarity, where the donation of essential medical supplies to the Caribbean island was coordinated. Leaders of Afro-Cuban traditions denounced the fact that the shortage of medicines caused by the U.S. embargo is resulting in loss of life among vulnerable populations.

The Cuban delegation expressed its gratitude for the material and spiritual support received in the face of the economic strangulation policies implemented by the White House. The Caribbean delegates highlighted the coordination of Brazilian popular movements that are actively and directly confronting all imperialist aggression.

This organizational network seeks to place social demands against the historical structural religious racism on the agenda of voters in the South American giant. The forum consolidates cultural and political resistance, strengthening the historical unity between the peoples of Latin America and the African continent.

The world rejects the strangulation of the Cuban people

Amid the intensification of economic strangulation measures, threats, and the oil blockade imposed by the Trump Administration, numerous countries have reaffirmed their support for the island’s sovereignty and denounced the White House’s violations of international law. Nations such as Russia and China have led the international condemnation, describing the energy blockade as unacceptable interference and a violation of sovereignty.

In the region, Mexico’s leadership, along with that of other countries, has been fundamental in maintaining the flow of supplies and humanitarian aid, defying warnings of tariffs and direct sanctions issued from Washington.

This multilateral support has been strongly felt in the United Nations General Assembly, where an overwhelming majority of 187 countries, including strong blocs from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, have historically voted against the blockade, leaving the United States and Israel in near-total diplomatic isolation.

Likewise, solidarity groups and unions in European nations such as Spain, Italy, and France have organized aid convoys to symbolically break the blockade, demonstrating that the international community recognizes the measures of collective punishment against the Cuban people as a crime that violates international humanitarian law and the human rights of Cubans.

IMAGE CREDIT: The Fourth National Meeting of the Cultures of Peoples of African Descent concludes in Brazil to strengthen cultural resistance, identity, and the preservation of ancestral traditions of Afro-descendant communities.