Successful Petition Against the U.S. War on Cuba Closes -- Ottawa's Official Response Pending
The parliamentary petition (e-3640) against the U.S. Economic War and Blockade of Cuba officially closed Saturday, February 26 at 8:31 am. The petition initiated by the Canadian Network On Cuba (CNC) is sponsored by Niki Ashton, member of Canada's parliament for the federal constituency of Churchill--Keewatinook Aski in the province of Manitoba.
Despite a relentless anti-Cuba disinformation campaign by various media outlets, especially the CBC, the petition successfully garnered 1,732 supporters.
The petition's first marker of success is reaching the required 500 signatures, compelling the Government of Canada to issue an official response.
Once the Clerk of Petition has certified that there are 500 valid signatures, the petition will then be presented to the House of Commons. Upon being presented, the Government must respond in 45 days.
The second marker is surpassing the anti-Cuba petition (e-3573), which closed on December 18, 2021 with a total of 700 signatures. This was achieved despite support of well-funded reactionary forces and sections of the Canada elite, who threw their weight behind the malicious anti-Cuba campaign.
Central to the CNC's petition was the call for the Government of Canada to take specific steps in opposing U.S. attacks on the heroic island nation and ensure that Ottawa's policy and relations with Cuba do not mirror or follow Washington's diktat.
It bears underscoring that the CNC petition builds on the success of the previous petition (e-3456) that was launched in 2021 during the last parliamentary session when 3,375 citizens and residents of Canada emphatically demanded an end to the U.S. economic siege and blockade of Cuba.
Thousands of Canadians signed both petitions, declaring that Cuba is not alone in condemning Washington's economic war and campaign of subversion.
Canadians are sending a powerful and unambiguous message to Ottawa.
As we await the government's response, it is abundantly clear and undeniable that Canadians have a profound respect and admiration for the people of Cuba. Irrespective of their political or ideological positions, Canadians stand for the building of genuine friendship with the island nation: relations based on mutual respect, equality, and recognition of Cuba's right to self-determination and sovereignty.
¡Cuba
sí, bloqueo no!
No to the U.S. War on Cuba!
Isaac Saney
Co-Chair and Spokesperson
Canadian
Network On Cuba
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 3 - March 6, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/M5200316.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca