On Saturday 3rd February 2001 the Manchester CSC Group formally launched its direct links project with workers at an oil refinery near Cárdenas - in Matanzas province. Approximately 20 people gathered to hear Geoff Bottoms talk eloquently and movingly about the progress people in Cuba had made despite the USA blockade, and about the making of the film ‘Taxi to Cuba’, in which he featured. This film, originally shown on BBC2, by following a cavalcade of blockade-busters (including a London cabbie and cab be-decked in the Cuban flag) journey from the USA to Havana, gave at times a humourous and at times poignant insight into the indomitability of the human spirit and the importance of international solidarity for people in Cuba. It also showed us what an impact painting a London cab in the Cuban flag might have!
The main purpose of the meeting was to launch the direct links project. The link was originally established by Stan Dalby of the Bury Cuba Relief Group with help from the National Union of Miners, and the meeting applauded Stan for his hard work and tenacity in keeping the link going.
Our link is through the Sindicato Provincial Químico - Minero Energético the Chemical, Mining, and Energy Union for Matanzas Province. We are in communication with comrades there, and Mark Burton, our secretary, has already made a visit to begin to build up a picture of the most pressing needs of the community. It is likely that our aid will focus on medical and educational supplies, which are particularly restricted as a result of the blockade. In the short term we have set up a financial framework for group members to contribute a regular amount and have begun to draw up an action plan for the collection of material aid. We hope to have regular visits to and from Cuba. Anyone who would like to keep up to date with the link can follow its progress on our web-sitehttp://homepages.poptel.org.uk/markburton/ .
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