“Cuba must be loved, supported and defended, for the example it gives to the world, of heroism, dignity and solidarity,” acknowledged Renato (Randy) Caravaggio, leader of the Friends of Cuba Group, from Victoria, Canada, who has just served an extensive program of activities in this province of Holguín.
Randy said that they leave very impressed by what was appreciated during the exchanges held with people from various social sectors, the way in which they face difficulties and defend their Revolution with more work and patriotic commitments, while at the same time constituting the best example of solidarity with the just causes of peoples, like the Palestinians.
Mature, capable man, who was born in Italy and in 1967, at the age of 11, he moved, with his parents, to Canada, where he has grown ideologically, assuming the progressive principles that advocate for a more just world, he stated, in which may man be brother to man and may live in peace.
“As a child, it hurt me to see the abuse and exploitation of land owners against those who worked them, without laws existing to prevent it, because in capitalism it works like this: the rich order, demand, and the poor obey.”
His political ideas matured with these realities, his connection with leftist forces and something that marked him forever, as it turns out that “when I was 13 years old, I came to Cuba for the first time with my older brother, who told me that in Cuba had a Robin Hood who took money from the rich and shared it with the poor. That hero was Fidel Castro.”
Randy told me that this brother was active in political issues and was attracted to Cuba. Through him he learned to love her, to admire Fidel and the Revolution. “During my visits to Cuba my political conceptions matured more and for that reason I defend and support this country, which I also consider part of me.”
Together with other activists, he supported the social struggles in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and, after the collapse of the socialist camp in Europe, he organized a group in defense of this Caribbean archipelago, because they feared that an aggression from the United States, their historical enemy, would be brewing.
“Then we began to hold public demonstrations and collected supplies and other resources, which we sent through the Pastors for Peace Caravans, which we were part of for many years.”
Gestures of solidarity, which were carried out through a movement called the Victoria Goods for Cuba Campaign, the main organizer of the Canadian actions in favor of the Caravans. He was also among the founders of the Canadian Network Campagne, until the creation of the Friends of Cuba Group, of Victoria, Canada.
“Since then, solidarity has been diverse, through campaigns, demonstrations, events, humanitarian material aid and other actions against the US blockade, its propaganda harassment and other expressions of hatred and siege of a country as worthy as Cuba, which deserves and needs live in peace”.
For 78 years, Canada and Cuba have maintained bilateral relations, strengthened with the triumph of the Revolution economically, politically and socially. As part of these friendly relations, Fidel Castro visited that country four times, including his presence, in 2000, at the funeral of his friend, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
And, in support of the just causes defended by Cubans, the National Solidarity Network works, to which, among others, the Che Guevara Brigade and the Calixto García Brigade, as well as the Quebec-Cuba Concertation Board, belong.
Randy admits that, whenever he comes to Cuba, even before landing he begins to feel very excited and this is confirmed by his colleagues. Although he was born in Italy and has lived his life in Canada, where he resides, “this Caribbean land has something very special that attracts and captivates me. As I know Cuba and the Cubans, I know that here there will not be the turn towards the past that its enemies and stateless people want, because it would be a setback and as many professionals as now would never again graduate, nor would the solidarity aid of which Cuba is provided be provided. example in the world.”
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