By Argiris Malapanis
NEW YORK CITY, October 24, 2026 — “Cuba Sí, Bloqueo No” (Cuba yes, blockade no) reverberated in the streets of lower Manhattan here today, as about 100 people assembled under brilliant sunny skies at Union Square Park and marched south on Broadway to Washington Square Park.
The protest, called by the Cuba Sí NY-NJ Coalition and endorsed by an array of other groups, was organized to broaden support for ending Washington’s relentless economic war on Cuba.
It was one of many similar actions planned in this city leading up to the October 28 vote by the United Nations General Assembly on a resolution sponsored by Cuba on the “necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
The New York activities include the US premiere of the documentary Fidel Up Close by Mexican director Eduardo Flores, who participated in today’s march.
These activities are part of a Global Week of Action Against US Genocide in Cuba called by the National Network on Cuba (NNOC) in the United States and fraternal organizations in other countries.
“The US energy and oil blockade is genocidal,” Richard Guerra of Cuban Americans for Cuba told those assembled at Union Square before the march took off. He was referring to the blockade of fuel Washington imposed on Cuba at the beginning of this year. “The oil blockade is devastating the Cuban economy and the living standards of the Cuban people,” Guerra continued. “It is directly causing great suffering and preventable death right now.”
Other speakers at the start of the protest included Nesbit Crutchfield of the Venceremos Brigade, Ismael Nuñez of the Puerto Rican pro-independence group Pro Libertad, and Ana Maria Lopez, professor of Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Hostos Community College and leader of El Frente, a coalition of Puerto Rican nationalist groups.
“USA, Hands off Cuba!” and “What do we want? End the Blockade! When do we want it? Now!” protesters chanted, to the musical beat of the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, as the march took off.
“Rubio, Rubio, you tell lies, you tell lies and Cubans die,” was another chant, referring to US secretary of state Marco Rubio who is leading Washington’s campaign to starve the Cuban people into submission.
“The people of Cuba will resist, get Cuba off the SSOT list,” was a third slogan, referring to the US government State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
In 2021, during his first term as president, Donald Trump placed Cuba on this infamous list, where it has remained through the Biden and second Trump administrations. The designation has blocked Cuba from accessing international credit and standard banking services, among other severe financial and economic consequences.
Reactions from bystanders or passersby were overwhelmingly positive. Many gave thumps up, snapped photos of the boisterous march, and eagerly took educational flyers protesters handed out. “I am Cuban, thanks for doing this,” this reporter heard a few times as I was handing out leaflets encouraging onlookers to join the action.
A few objected. “The problem is not the blockade but the Cuban regime,” one woman shouted angrily. But such reactions were rare.
A noticeable number of young people and others enjoying the sunny afternoon at Washington Square Park gathered in the periphery of the protesters and listened, at least in part, to the concluding rally.
Speakers included Elizabeth Stevens of Americans for Common Sense on Cuba; Cheryl LaBash, an NNOC national co-chair; and Jason Corley and Erin Feely-Nahem of Cuba Sí.
Feely-Nahem asked those gathered to donate what they could to help raise funds for a campaign organized by Global Health Partners. The effort is aimed at purchasing and sending to Cuba equipment, supplies, and medications for neonatal and maternal health, to help combat Cuba’s fast rising infant mortality rate, which is increasing as a result of the intensifying US blockade. Donations dropped in buckets circulated among bystanders exceeded $150.
More information on such material aid campaigns for Cuba can be found in Global Health Partners.
If you appreciate this article, share it with friends and subscribe to World-Outlook (for free) by clicking on the link below.
Type your email in the box below and click on “SUBSCRIBE.” You will receive a notification in your in-box on which you will have to click to confirm your subscription.
Categories: Cuba/Cuba Solidarity
Super! but, $150?….. Really?