Over 130 Pastors for Peace volunteers from the US, Canada and Europe will challenge the immoral and illegal US blockade and travel restrictions against Cuba at the US-Mexico Border on July 22nd. They expect to collect 100 tons of humanitarian aid during a two-week caravan that will converge in McAllen, Texas before traveling on to Cuba without US treasury department licenses. They intend to deliver school buses, construction tools and materials, educational supplies, medicines, and medical supplies gathered in communities throughout the US and Canada.

“We must continue to keep the pressure on – o end the blockade, to normalize relations between the US and Cuba, and to engage in dialogue based on mutual respect, rather than our insisting on undermining Cuba’s sovereignty” declared Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., Executive Director and founder of IFCO, a 42-year old ecumenical agency.

“President Obama has taken a small step to change the US/Cuba policy. But as people of faith and conscience, it is important that we make our voices herd in favor of even stronger measures for reconciliation and normalized relations.”

The 20th Annual Friendshipment Caravan will transverse 14 separate routes across the US states and six Canadian providences. Along the way 140 communities who support a new US Cuba policy based on respect and non-aggression will host the caravan. This year communities have collected aid for hurricane reconstruction after the three hurricanes that divested Cuba in 2008.

Pastors for Peace reject the current licensing system as both immoral and illegal. It is immoral because it endangers the lives of millions of Cubans and inflicts suffering on innocent children, as well as adults. It is illegal under international law because it muses medicine and food as weapons of war to force another nation to change its government. Licensing is also unconstitutional because it requires people of faith to submit their acts of conscience and friendship to government licensing, in violation of our right to freedom of religious expression, political thought, association and travel,” said Walker.

“The world is waiting to see President Obama put an end to the blockade. The US spends more than 50 million dollars per year to undermine the sovereign government of Cuba.

On our non-violent caravan of peace-loving individuals is a challenge to this violation of our rights to express our faith and to travel to Cuba.” Said Rev. Thomas Smith, President of the Board of Directors of IFCO/Pastors for Peace.

Since 1992 Pastors for Peace has used hunger strikes and mass mobilizations to successfully challenge US government attempts to confiscate vehicles and humanitarian aid bound for Cuba. The ecumenical initiative is a project of IFCO, the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, and has delivered more than 3,000 tons of urgently needed assistance to the Cuba people.

Tonight, fourteen caravanistas from New York City will be speaking in Columbia, Maryland. The event will take place at 5885 Robert Oliver Place, in The Meeting House (in the Oakland Mills Village Center. Come support us!