cuba pharmaceutical industry

On 12 June the Chinese Drug Administration approved the use of Cuba’s drug Nimotuzumab for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The drug was developed by Cuba’s Centre for Molecular Immunology (CIM) and first approved for use in Cuba against nasopharyngeal cancers in 2002. It has since been approved for use against various types of cancer in numerous countries. Nimotuzumab is an antibody that targets a protein called ‘epidermal growth factor receptor’ (EGFR) on the surface of cells, which can cause uncontrolled cell division, the hallmark of cancer, if EGFR mutates.

Gay Pride Parade in Havana

As countries around the world roll back human rights for the LGBT+ community, socialist Cuba stands as a beacon of hope. It has enshrined the most progressive Family Code in the world in its own constitution and works tirelessly to fight reactionary sentiment towards LGBT+ people in its own country through the legal system and education.

On Sunday 25 June, hundreds joined the National Network on Cuba marching in Washington, DC demanding President Biden’s US government remove Cuba from the ‘State Sponsors of Terrorism’ list. Over the same weekend, Rock Around the Blockade (RATB) supporters around Britain supported this demand by joining the international Caravana for Cuba, demanding an end to the US blockade of Cuba, and that British banks and financial institutions stop imposing US sanctions against UK laws.

Floods in Granma Province (photo: govt of Cuba)

While Cuba is trying to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and resist the devastating, genocidal and internationally illegal US blockade, it now faces the aftermath of unprecedented flooding due to heavy rains. Since the rains started on 8 June, eight people have died, tens of thousands have been evacuated and significant damage has been done to nearly ten thousand homes. Almost 500 homes have been completely destroyed. Thousands of hectares of crops, including sugar cane, have been ruined. Roads and other infrastructure have been badly damaged in the eastern provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Camaguey and Las Tunas.

cuba election 2023

On 26 March, Cuba completed the final stage of its General Election. Even in the midst of intense hardships caused by US sanctions including hours-long queues for basic goods, 6,164,876 Cubans turned out to vote for or against deputies to the National Assembly of People’s Power at 23,468 voting stations, a turnout of 75.92%.

This exercise in mass democratic participation, in defiance of the illegal US blockade of Cuba which is intended to bring about unrest and the overthrow of the socialist state, demonstrates the strength of popular support for the Cuban revolution.

This month supporters from Rock Around the Blockade and Fight Racism Fight Imperialism once again joined organisations from around the world to condemn the US blockade of Cuba. Cubans marked the occasion in Havana with a bicycle procession along the Malecón:

Cubans on the Malecon

To join us next month, please get in touch! Here are photos and videos from around the country:

signal 2023 05 01 172448 002 NW

This month, activists from Rock Around the Blockade, Revolutionary Communist Group and the 1 Cent For Cuba (1c4Cuba) campaign joined the international caravan against the US blockade of Cuba. This time the event coincided with International Worker's Day/May Day celebrations all around the world! Check out the photos and videos from around the country below:

On 24 January, activists from Rock Around the Blockade, Plataforma 12 de Octubre, Cubanos en UK, the Revolutionary Communist Group and other groups and individuals came together to defend the Cuban people and the revolutionary government who uphold the banner of socialism. The demonstration started at The British High Court, where an imperialist vulture fund has brought a lawsuit against the Cuban state. The protestors then moved on to the Cuban embassy, where right-wing opposition activists had planned to come out against Cuban socialism. See below for video coverage of this vibrant solidarity event!

 

On 17 December activists from Rock Around the Blockade and the Revolutionary Communist Group took part in an international day of action called by the 1 Cent 4 Cuba campaign. For their action on the day, RATB and RCG supporters picketed banks that are extraterritorially implementing the US blockade of Cuba by illegally complying with US sanctions in Britain. The main target was Metro Bank, who recently closed customer's accounts after blocking transactions to Cuba. 17 December is an important day for friends of socialist Cuba, as it was the day when the Cuban 5 were released in 2014. Here are pictures and videos from across the country:

IMG 20221217 141921472