🍽 Dinner & Conversation with the Cuban Ambassador to New Zealand

🗓 Sunday, April 27, 2025 ⏰ 5:00 PM – Dinner, followed by Q&A
📍 First Union Conference Room, 120 Church Street, Onehunga, Auckland

(Koha would be appreciated for the dinner; suggested $10)

Join the Auckland Cuba Friendship Society for a special evening with:

🎙 His Excellency Luis Morejón Rodríguez, Cuban Ambassador to New Zealand

This is a unique opportunity to hear firsthand about Cuba’s achievements, its struggle against U.S. sanctions, and the importance of international solidarity. Ambassador Morejón Rodríguez will discuss the new bilateral situation following President Trump’s inauguration and the appointment of Marco Rubio as the new Secretary of State for the United States of America.

As Trump and Rubio tighten the screws even further

Stand with Cuba!

Why is the U.S. Hostile to Cuba?

The root of U.S. hostility toward Cuba lies in the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which led to the establishment of a socialist government.

Before the revolution, Cuba was controlled by U.S. corporations and the corrupt, U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship. American businesses owned vast amounts of land, industry, and resources, while the Cuban people suffered under inequality and repression.

When Fidel Castro and the revolutionary movement overthrew Batista, they nationalized foreign-owned industries, redistributed land to the poor, and asserted Cuba’s independence from U.S. imperialism. This socialist revolution and defiance of Washington’s control made Cuba a target for U.S. aggression.

Since then, the U.S. has sought to destroy Cuba’s socialist government through:
✅ Military invasion (Bay of Pigs, 1961)
✅ Economic warfare (the blockade, imposed in 1962 and still in place today)
✅ Covert sabotage and assassination attempts

Despite these attacks, Cuba has built a world-renowned healthcare and education system, sent doctors to aid countries in need, and remains a symbol of anti-imperialist resistance worldwide.

U.S.-Cuba Relations: Setbacks and Resilience

Under Donald Trump (2017–2021), U.S.-Cuba relations took a sharp downturn as Trump:
✔️ Expanded sanctions, worsening shortages of food, medicine, and fuel
✔️ Restricted travel and remittances, cutting off support from Cuban-Americans to their families
✔️ Placed Cuba back on the U.S. list of “state sponsors of terrorism”, despite international opposition

Marco Rubio’s Role in U.S. Policy

Republican Senator Marco Rubio was a key architect of these policies. A Cuban-American from Florida, Rubio has long advocated for harsher sanctions, believing that economic strangulation would lead to regime change.

In 2025, Rubio was appointed U.S. Secretary of State under Trump, making him one of the most powerful figures shaping U.S. foreign policy. He continues to escalate pressure on Cuba, reinforcing the blockade and working to isolate Cuba internationally.

Bipartisan Hostility Towards Cuba

While Trump’s anti-Cuba measures were extreme, U.S. hostility toward Cuba has been bipartisan:
✔️ The blockade, first imposed in 1962, has remained under every U.S. president—Democrat or Republican.
✔️ Even under Joe Biden, key sanctions remained, and Cuba was still unjustly listed as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”
✔️ Cuba has faced over 60 years of economic warfare simply for asserting its independence from U.S. control.

Despite this, Cuba continues to resist. Every year, the United Nations overwhelmingly votes to condemn the U.S. blockade, yet Washington refuses to end its economic war.

A Chance to Learn and Show Solidarity

This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and show solidarity with Cuba’s struggle for independence and justice.

🍽 Dinner & Conversation with the Cuban Ambassador

📅 Sunday, April 27, 2025 ⏰ 5:00 PM – Dinner, followed by Q&A
📍 First Union Conference Room, 120 Church Street, Onehunga, Auckland
🎙 Hear from the Ambassador and learn how you can support Cuba’s struggle!

🌍 Let’s stand together with Cuba!

Organized by the Auckland Cuba Friendship Society
Email: cubafriends.ak. ph 021 201 7399.