The National Network on Cuba and the U.S.-Cuba Normalization Coalition have announced a campaign — building on a similar effort launched last year — that combines raising money to send crucially needed cardiac pacemakers to Cuba with boosting efforts to end Washington’s economic war against the Caribbean island, defending Cuba’s internationalist medical missions, and removing the country from the U.S. State Department State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT) list. That designation makes it almost impossible for Cuba to buy pacemakers commercially.

The materials below provide more details about the campaign. They can also be accessed at the Saving Lives Campaign website.

World-Outlook is publishing them for the information of our readers, and to encourage support for and participation in this effort.

— World-Outlook editors

From Our Hearts to Cuban Hearts:

Send Pacemakers to Cuba, Remove Cuba from SSOT List, Defend Cuba’s Medical Brigades (see also attached flyer)

Dear Cuba Supporter:

What would you do if your relative, co-worker, or friend had a heart condition and couldn’t get the needed pacemaker? This is the dire situation of thousands of our Cuban friends, whose outstanding free healthcare system is under attack by U.S. policy, including undermining Cuba’s ability to purchase heart pacemakers.

FIRST, take immediate collective action. Join the Saving Lives Pacemakers Campaign to raise at least $150,000 to purchase and send to Cuba at least 150 pacemakers. Working with Global Health Partners, in 2024 we sent 380 pacemakers to Cuba. Let’s now send 150 more.

Please make a donation today to the pacemaker appeal and reach out to your networks to urge them to do the same.

• Make checks payable to Global Health Partners with the memo “pacemakers” and mail to: Global Health Partners, 39 Broadway, Suite 1540 New York, NY 10006.
• For debit & credit card payments, visit the GHP website (https://ghpartners.org)

SECOND, campaign to tear down the U.S. blockade of Cuba and to take Cuba off the U.S. list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism” (SSOT). President Trump’s totally unjustified placement of Cuba on this list means that financial institutions refuse to handle Cuban transactions of any kind, including money transfers, payment to vendors, etc. The SSOT severely hampers Cuba’s ability to receive regular shipments of fuel, food, and medical supplies.

Now Republicans in Congress want to turn the screws even further by introducing a House bill HR 450 – known as the Force Act – to take away the ability of a future U.S. president to remove Cuba from the SSOT.

Make your opinions known to your congressional representatives – by phone, email or, best of all, in person. Go to https://actionnetwork.org/letters/notforce/ 

Trump is now threatening sanctions against countries who have Cuban international medical brigades working, unless they expel the Cubans based on baseless claims that the brigades are a form of human trafficking.  Cuban medical personnel are the backbone of many countries healthcare systems and have saved countless lives. During COVID, Cuba sent 3,875 Cuban medical workers in 52 brigades to 46 countries, including even Italy.  

For more information, including other ways to advocate such as getting a resolution passed by your union branch, labor council, or city council, click on the links below:

• https://nnoc.org/resolutions/
• https://acere.org/acere-advocacy-toolkit/
• https://savinglives.us-cubanormalization.org/

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