By Lincoln DePradine

Almost 2,000 Canadians, including members of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council (TYRLC), already have signed a petition calling on the federal government to “firmly oppose U.S. economic and other coercive measures against Cuba and vigorously advocate for their removal’’.

The petitioners are also demanding the administration of Prime Minister Mark Carney should “deepen economic ties, trade and assistance to Cuba’’.

The United States, which has maintained an economic blockade against Cuba for more than 50 years, recently tightened the measures.

The American measures now include an oil blockade. It’s causing a severe energy crisis in Cuba, with the government forced to ration fuel and cut electricity for many hours a day.

Reports are that families are turning to wood and coal for cooking, living through near-constant power outages.

Venezuela, Cuba’s closest ally in the region, was one of Havana’s main fuel source until last month, when the American government removed President Nicolás Maduro from office and took control of Venezuela’s oil exports and cut off shipments to Cuba.

The U.S. also has threatened imposing tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

TYRLC president Andria Babbington, urging support for the petition, said Canadians should call their Members of Parliament “to tell them to support Cuba’’.

“A great way to show solidarity for Black History Month is to show international solidarity with the people of Cuba,’’ added Babbington.

Cuba has “consistently stood up for others in the Caribbean and around the world sending doctors and support everywhere to defend other people’s sovereignty. Cuba never needs to be asked for help’’, she said. “Standing up for Cuba means standing up for Black and Indigenous people.’’

Babbington warned that, “it’s Cuba today, Canada tomorrow. At one point we have to stop running and fight the bully head on’’.

The petition, (signing the parliamentary petition, donating to send much needed aid), among other things, appealed to the Carney administration to “reaffirm and actively support the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, free from external military intervention’’; and to “unequivocally uphold and promote the right of self-determination of the peoples and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean’’.

As living conditions worsen in Cuba, just two hemispheric countries, Canada and Mexico, have responded with aid for the Cuban people. No announcement of assistance has been made by member-countries of the English-speaking Caribbean, whose leaders met in St Kitts this week for a CARICOM summit, which was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Two Mexican navy vessels carrying 1,193 tons of supplies, including beans, powdered milk and other food items, are scheduled to arrive in Cuba on Saturday.

It’s the second shipment of items from Mexico, which early this month delivered more than 814 tons of food and hygiene products to Cuba.

Meanwhile, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has announced $8 million in funding for Cuba.

“This funding is part of an international assistance program to strengthen local food security and nutrition,’’ according to a GAC statement, which also explained that the assistance is meant “to scale up food and nutrition for vulnerable Cubans’’.

The Canadian aid package, which is to be released immediately, will be delivered through partnerships with the World Food Program and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

“This is Canadian foreign policy,’’ said foreign minister Anita Anand, adding that she has not discussed “Canadian aid intentions’’ with Secretary of State Rubio.

“We will always be looking to do more when humanitarian situations call for it,’’ she said.

LJI reporter