Cuba: Defending Socialism, Resisting Imperialism brings you voices from Cuba, a country fighting for social and economic justice, representing the aspirations of the poor and oppressed worldwide, building socialism in a capitalist world. The film demonstrates how vital Cuba is to the struggle for socialism in Britain and beyond. Featuring Cuban workers – including a lawyer, economist, teacher and farmer – this film explains how the Cuban people have set up their economy, constitution and social provision despite 50 years of imperialist attack, isolation and, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Special Period. Today it is a nation that not only provides its own people with world-class healthcare and education, but also sends medical assistance to every corner of the globe. Cuba is at the heart of the Latin American trade and cooperation bloc ALBA, which operates on the basis of solidarity and complementarity, not profit and exploitation. Cuba continues to build and deepen its socialist system and democracy despite the punitive US blockade and having to cope with the international capitalist crisis.
Meanwhile in Britain the political set-up makes a mockery of democracy: the working class is braced to pay for the economic crisis and Britain’s military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to claim thousands of civilian lives. Members of Rock around the Blockade who visited Cuba in 2009 in the wake of the global crisis, explain why they defend the socialist alternative offered by Cuba, socialism being the only system that can provide for the human race and preserve the environment in the long-term.
Duration: 47 minutes
Aspect ratio: 16:9 Widescreen
Format: Colour, PAL
Produced by: RATB, 2010
Buy it now
Quotes
"A great little film with a lot of food for thought and a good corrective to all the anti-Cuban stuff in the media, the interviews are fascinating and say a lot about the difficulties the country continues to face... very interesting in terms of Cuban ideas of grassroots democracy and the problems of running an economy with a blockade."
'This film was summed up by the quote " I thought when i went to Cuba I could say if it was socialist or capitalist; having been I now say its a society trying to build socialism". A very realistic appraisal of Cuba which has not airbrushed out the difficulties there.'
Steve Hedley, RMT London Transport Regional Organiser
A FILM organised by Cuban supporters Rock Around The Blockade (RATB), is set to provide a much-needed silver-lining to the dark election clouds.
RATB, an organisation encouraging cultural ties between Britain and Cuba, are hosting a world premiere of Cuba: Defending Socialism, Resisting Imperialism. It features an introduction by the directors and a talk by Rafeal Ramos, a youth member of United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). click here to see more>>
Viva Cuba! is the newsletter of Rock around the blockade, with news and analysis about socialist Cuba, struggles in Latin America and reports of RATB campaign activity in Britain. It comes out every two months and you can subscribe by joining RATB!
In June 2001, a Miami jury found five Cubans guilty on charges ranging from spying to conspiracy to commit murder and endangering the security of the United States...
RATB campaign against the genocidal blockade of Cuba. Recently, British banks have joined the blockade by refusing to allow commercial companies in Britain to transfer funds to Cuba.
The now infamous US prison complex at Guantanamo bay has held more than 750 people since it was opened as part of the so-called war on terror in 2002...
Rock around the Blockade launched a Boycott Bacardi Campaign on 13 August 1999 to highlight the organised attempts by the Bacardi company to undermine the Cuban Revolution...
Cuba: Defending Socialism, Resisting Imperialism brings you voices from Cuba, a country fighting for social and economic justice, representing the aspirations of the poor and oppressed worldwide, building socialism in a capitalist world. The film demonstrates how vital Cuba is to the struggle for socialism in Britain and beyond. Featuring Cuban workers – including a lawyer, economist, teacher and farmer – this film explains how the Cuban people have set up their economy, constitution and social provision despite 50 years of imperialist attack, isolation and, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Special Period. Today it is a nation that not only provides its own people with world-class healthcare and education, but also sends medical assistance to every corner of the globe. Cuba is at the heart of the Latin American trade and cooperation bloc ALBA, which operates on the basis of solidarity and complementarity, not profit and exploitation. Cuba continues to build and deepen its socialist system and democracy despite the punitive US blockade and having to cope with the international capitalist crisis.
