"Building Revolution Across Borders"
Reflections on "El Che" 2017 Conference Vancouver, BC
This is a report back written by members
of the US Women & Cuba Collaboration
about the 7th International Che Guevara
Conference organized from October 27-29,
2017 in Vancouver, Canada. Deb Goldman
and Moon “Luna” Vazquez were sepakers
and participants in the conference. This report back
will also appear in the next newsletter of US
Women & Cuba Collaboration.
It was a crisp clear gorgeous autumn morning on October 28th when Moon (Luna) Vazquez and
Deb Goldman headed up I-5 from Settle to Vancouver Canada where the US Women and Cuba
Collaboration was invited to participate in a panel discussion on LGBT issues highlighting their
Cuba and US Lesbian and Allies project at the 7th International Che Guevara Conference. They
arrived at the conference in time to hear Gerardo Alfonso, legendary Cuban musician, speak on
how through concerts and workshops he uses his music and lyrics to engage people, especially
youth, in the context of current Cuban social and political issues, and how Race is at the
forefront of these issues.
The entire conference was extraordinarily well organized by the Vancouver Solidarity
Communities in Solidarity with Cuba. One main organizer Tamara Hansen is the author of
5 Decades of Cuban Revolution: The Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership, 2010. We felt
very welcomed by the Vancouver Committee of amazing volunteers, many of whom were quite
young. We were extremely honored to be able to present and participate in this conference
which included an incredible lineup of distinguished Cuban, Venezuelan and Canadian
presenters reminding us that in spite of the US blockade, Cuba’s accomplishments and
unwavering loyalty to the principles of the Revolution are remarkable. The overarching theme
of the conference was both honoring the socialist principles of the works of Che and celebrating
the 1st anniversary of the death of Fidel Castro and his significant and vital impact around the
world.
Among the guest speakers were Ms. Tania Lopez Larroque, Counsel General of the Cuban
Consulate in Toronto and has been working for Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 17 years
including posts in Mexico and Argentina. She gave keynote “Fidel &Che’s Legacy in Cuba
today” and spoke throughout the 2-day conference including a special panel session on
“Marxism, Communism and the Relevancy of Revolutionary Ideas Today”. She is young, a
passionate, articulate and fascinating speaker. Other speakers included Mr. Luis Morlote Rivas
from Havana, Vice-President of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artist (UNEAC) and member of
the Cuban national assembly, another young person speaking fervently about the role of
writers and artists in continuing to raise the collective social consciousness of the next
generation of Cubans; Mr. Wifredo J. Perez from Caracas, Venezuela, Consul General of the
Venezuelan Consulate in Vancouver who holds a degree in journalism and a doctorate in
Information Sciences who has stood firmly since an early age in defense of the Bolivarian
Revolution speaking about building solidarity with Venezuela; Helen Yaffe, an economic history
Fellow at the London School of Economics, author of Che Guevara; The Economics of a
Revolution 2009, frequent presenter at conferences and seminars around the world, was
skyped in for a videoconference and spoke eloquently and accessibly on the economic history
since the Revolution; to name just a few esteemed speakers.
The LGBT panel discussion on Saturday afternoon was extremely well received by the audience
as well as the other presenters. The discussion was facilitated by AzzaRojbi, a young lesbian
activist from Tunisia, now living in Vancouver, coordinator of Friends of Cuba against the US
blockade and director of Vancouver Pride Society. The discussion started with the 40-minute
documentary entitled “Mariela Castro’s March: Cuba’s LGBT Revolution”. It was a moving film
emotionally charged with real, raw queer Cuban folks’ stories and experiences of
discrimination, isolation and violence. To quote one of the older transsexual man in the film,
“The revolution was totally homophobic, no room for Gays…” In the 1960’s thousands of gay
men were forced into labor camps and doors were closed to them for paid work and education.
Slowly, since the 70’s, the Federation of Cuban Women’s work on gender and diversity rights,
and Cenesex (National Center of Sexual education) grassroots work in sex education and now
Mariela Castro’s visibility around days against homophobia and transphobia have made great
strides in addressing the rights of LGBT Cubans. In fact, Cuba is leading the LGBT rights
movement in the entire world!
After the film Azza enthusiastically discussed her experience a year or so ago when she and her
partner went to Cuba in May and participated in activities during the Days against homophobia
and transphobia and met Mariela Castro who she described as a very humble down-to-earth
woman who relates very well to all the people in Cuba. Moon did an excellent job briefly
describing the history and work of the US Women and Cuba Collaboration and emphasized the
work towards ending the US blockade of Cuba which drew lots of applause from the audience.
Deb talked about her experience in Cuba meeting the Lesbian activist group Las Isabella’s in
Santiago in 2012 and discussing with the group leader, also a nurse like Deb, on health issues
faced by the queer community in Cuba and the US. She spoke about her favorable impression
of how Cuba is unique compared to other countries in their willingness to listen to the people,
admit and learn from their mistakes and facilitate community debates and discussions on the
human rights of LGBT Cubans in all urban, rural and remote corners of the country in order to
change minds. Moon then ended the talk with a passionate discussion regarding the work she
has lead on the Cuba and US Lesbian and Allies Project under the umbrella of the US Women in
Cuba Collaboration. The 3 of us answered a few thoughtful questions from the audience and
then had to cut it short because the conference was running way behind schedule. What an
honor it was to be able to participate and present at this wonderful conference. Viva Cuba!
Also present at the conference to remind us of the indigenous peoples of the land in Vancouver
with prayer, song and some history of local tribes, and current social issues was Eagle Eyes,
Hereditary Chief and Indigenous elder of Sechelt tribe and Chief Bob Chamberlin, VP Union of
BC Indian Chiefs. At the official closing of the 7th Che Guevara conference, Kelly White, Coast
Salish elder, teacher, broadcaster and longtime activist led everyone in a beautiful Salish
traditional ceremonial way of governance. Kelly started by saying “we honor the special ones
who the spirits brought here to share their crucial message.”
She invited our special guests from Cuba onto the stage draping them with amazing colorful
blankets of protection of mind, body and soul, the healing, the umbilical cord of revolution.
She went on to explain the history of the 4 directions in transformation and life in building
revolution. “It is a time for us to listen”, she exclaimed. Kelly ended the closing ceremony
with a dance called,“Evolution of the revolution in stepping forward”.
