8th International Che Guevara Conference:
A Great Success!
“It is necessary to explain what the
Cuban Revolution is, what this special affair is that has made the blood of the
empires of the world boil, and has also made the blood of the dispossessed of
the world — or at least of this part of the world — boil, but with hope”
- Che
Guevara, from his speech at the Organization of American States meeting on August 8, 1961 in Punta del Este,
Uruguay
These words, spoken by revolutionary
hero and visionary Che Guevara 58 years ago, ring just as true in today’s
world. Imperialist forces today have taken a major offensive against progressive
and revolutionary governments and movements throughout Latin America. These
revolutionary advances are what makes the blood of imperialist countries boil,
as Che Guevara said. It also fills them with fear, as oppressed peoples look to
the examples of Cuba and Venezuela and threaten the hold of imperialism in
Latin America, and around the world.
It is with the revolutionary spirit of Che
Guevara’s legacy that the International Che Guevara Conference first started in
2008, organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC). Since
the triumph of Cuba’s 1959 revolution to today, the vision and political ideas
that shape the Cuban revolution remain a source of inspiration, discussion and
debate around the world. This one-of-a-kind conference is an opportunity explore
these ideas from a uniquely working-class perspective. The Che Guevara
Conference brings together intellectuals, activists, authors, and political leaders
from Cuba, Venezuela, North America and Europe, with the goal of not just discussing
but learning from these ideas.
The 8th International Che Guevara
Conference on October 26-27, 2019 in Vancouver, and October 29 in Kamloops and
Calgary, centered on the theme: “Socialism Yesterday, Socialism Today,
Socialism Tomorrow: Continuity of the Cuban Socialist Project”.
Day 1 – Saturday October 26
The first day of the 8th
International Che Guevara Conference, held at the Russian Hall in Vancouver,
Canada, started off with an Indigenous welcoming led by Kelly White, who is a
Coast Salish elder, teacher, broadcaster, and long-time social justice
activist. Following Kelly, VCSC coordinator Tamara Hansen gave an opening to
the conference, before introducing the first keynote speaker, Giuvel Orozco
Ortega, the Deputy Head of Mission and Counsellor at the Cuban Embassy in
Ottawa, Canada. His keynote talk addressed the topic, “The Cuban Socialist and
Internationalist Revolution. The Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership. How
Far Have We Come?” This very comprehensive talk is printed in this issue of
Fire This Time on page 19.
The first workshop of the day was
titled “The Dynamism of the Cuban Revolution: 60 Years of Developing the Leadership
of Revolutionary Youth”. This workshop was given by David Aldama Pando, the
Third Secretary of the Embassy of Cuba in Canada in charge of academic affairs
and relations with Cuba solidarity groups in Canada. David Aldama spoke from
his experience as a young Cuban revolutionary, as he outlined both the historic
and ongoing role of youth in the Cuban revolution.
The workshop “Cuban Sovereignty,
Sustainability and Community – Food Security is just the Beginning” was
delivered by Wendy Holm, an agrologist, columnist, author and speaker, who
organizes the Canada-Cuba Farmer to Farmer project and has written extensively
on Cuba’s commitment to sustainable farming practices. The next workshop “Cuba
and Venezuela: Independence and Unity in the face of U.S./Canada Aggressions”
was delivered by Arnold August from Montreal, Canada. He is an accomplished
author and journalist, whose latest book "Cuba-U.S. Relations: Obama and
Beyond" (Fernwood, 2017) was bought by many participants. This workshop
opened a critical subject, in light of the escalating imperialist aggression
against Cuba and Venezuela.
Before continuing to the evening portion
of the program, a special announcement was made by Janine Solanki, national
coordinator of the Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade. Janine encouraged participants
to travel to Cuba and experience this revolutionary island for themselves
through the Calixto Garcia Brigade (December 2019) or the Che Guevara Volunteer
Work Brigade (Spring 2020).
The highlight of Saturday evening was
the Vancouver premier of the documentary “Cubanas, Mujeres en Revolución”,
which captivated the audience by weaving together the historical and current
role of women in the Cuban revolution. The screening was preceded by a special
video introduction from Maria Torrellas, the director of the film, who sent
heartfelt messages of solidarity from Argentina. Following the film, a
commentary and discussion was led by Stephany Mazuera and Azza Rojbi. Stephany
Mazuera, who is from Colombia, spoke from her experiences studying medicine in
Cuba at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Havana and the Ernesto
Che Guevara faculty in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. (Her speech is printed in this
issue of Fire This Time on page 22) Azza Rojbi then spoke to reflect further on
the film and the advancements of women in Cuba’s “revolution within a
revolution”. Azza Rojbi is a Tunisian social justice, LGBTQ+ activist and
coordinator of Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. blockade – Vancouver, as well
as author of "U.S. & Saudi War on the People of Yemen" (Battle of
Ideas Press, 2019).
Day 2 – October 27, 2019
After Tamara Hansen opened the second
day of the conference, participants delved into the theme “Venezuela’s
Bolivarian Revolution Today: How Far We Have Come”. This keynote address was
presented by Dr. Luis Acuña Cedeño from Sucre, Venezuela, currently living in
Ottawa, Canada. Luis Acuña who is the Chargé d'Affaires at the Venezuelan
Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, was former Minister of Higher Education in Venezuela
under then-President Comandante Hugo Chavez. His speech on this vital topic set
the tone for the following workshop, “#UnblockCuba #UnblockVenezuela - Building
the Solidarity Movement: Our Tasks and Perspectives in the Imperialist Epoch”
given by Tamara Hansen and Alison Bodine. Tamara Hansen, alongside being the coordinator
of VCSC, is also a member of the executive of the Canadian Network on Cuba
(CNC) and is author of the book "5 Decades of the Cuban Revolution: The
Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership" (Battle of Ideas Press, 2010).
While Tamara’s talk focused on building solidarity with Cuba (see her talk
printed on page 8 of this issue of Fire This Time), Alison focused on the
Venezuela solidarity movement and the importance of defending Venezuela against
U.S. aggression. Alison Bodine is the coordinator of the Fire This Time
Movement for Social Justice Venezuela Solidarity Campaign and is the author of
"Revolution & Counter-Revolution in Venezuela" (Battle of Ideas
Press, 2018).
Following a lunch break, the afternoon
explored the theme “The Cuban Tightrope: Between the Plan and the Market”
presented by Helen Yaffe. Speaking via video conference from Glasgow, Scotland,
Helen Yaffe is a Visiting Fellow at the Latin America and Caribbean Centre and
a Lecturer in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow. She is
also the author of "Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution"
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2009).
The next workshop was presented by Keith
Bolender, and also served as the first book launch for his newly published
book, “Manufacturing the Enemy: The Media War Against Cuba” (Pluto, 2019). Keith
is a freelance journalist who worked for more than 10 years with the Toronto
Star, is a member of the Institute for Public Accuracy on their Roster of
Experts for Cuban Affairs, and lectures at the University of Toronto School of
Continuing Studies.
Next, Macarena Cataldo, a Chilean
activist and host of “El Bus de las 7” on Coop Radio 100.5 FM, spoke
passionately for 15 minutes about what is currently happening in Chile and the
years of oppression that have brought Chileans out to the streets now.
Nearing the end of the conference, Kelly
White and MaryAnn led a beautiful Indigenous blanketing ceremony to honour the
Cuban and Venezuelan guest speakers.
The final workshop was titled “Cuba’s
New Constitution & the Continuity of the Cuban Socialist Project” delivered
by Giuvel Orozco. This workshop examined the process and outcome of Cuba’s new
constitution, and its significance as Cuba charts its future.
As the conference drew to a close, the
closing keynote address was given by Ali Yerevani, who is the Political Editor
of the Fire This Time Newspaper. His address, “Socialism Yesterday, Today,
Tomorrow: Continuity of The Cuban Socialist Project” encompassed the theme of
the conference and reviewed the reasons why Cuba is an example for those
looking to socialism as a way forward towards a better world.
Tamara Hansen closed the conference by
reflecting on the inspiration for holding this conference. In a world that is plagued
by capitalist crisis and injustice, Cuba stands as a beacon of hope and
struggle. Tamara reviewed the two days of the conference and all the very
relevant and important topics discussed by more than 200 people who came to the
conference.
Che Guevara Conference on the Road!
On Tuesday October 29, Dr. Luis Acuña Cedeño
and David Aldama Pando spoke to students and professors at Thompson Rivers
University in Kamloops, BC, where they were hosted by the TRU School of Social
Work & Human Service. The Venezuelan and Cuban diplomats had a fruitful
exchange with students who were eager to ask questions and learn more about
what is happening in Cuba and Venezuela today.
A short flight later, and the Che
Guevara Conference touched down in Calgary, Alberta. This event was co-organized
by Colectivo por la Memoria Salvador Allende, Canadian-Cuban Friendship
Association-Calgary-CCFA, and Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba.
After Luis Acuña and David Aldama delivered their talks many engaged in a
dynamic discussion with the speakers.
Over three days and across three cities,
the 8th International Che Guevara Conference covered a wide breadth
of important topics presented by amazing speakers. This conference was truly a
success as it gave people an opportunity to discuss and debate topics aimed at
the struggle for a better world, with Cuba as an example. As well during the
conference more than 100 books were sold. With participation from activists and
organizers to those simply interested and wanting to learn more, this is not
just a conference to attend, but a springboard for further developing ideas
with Cuba as an inspiration and an example.