Vol. 72/No. 40      October 13, 2008

“Haiti’s foreign debt should be cancelled now,” said Calero. “The fight for legalization is not just a question of basic working-class solidarity, but a life and death question for the unity of the working class and the labor movement in the United States.”

Calero made a campaign stop in the Miami area September 19-21.

In the aftermath of the devastation of Haiti by recent hurricanes Gustav and Ike, U.S. immigration officials have decided to temporarily halt deportations. The U.S. Coast Guard, however, is still intercepting and sending back Haitians at sea.

The next day, Calero participated in a 25-car caravan demanding the lifting of Washington’s travel restrictions against Cuba and an end to the U.S. rulers’ embargo against that country. Prior to the caravan’s departure, Calero was introduced by Andrés Gómez, director of the Antonio Maceo Brigade.

“There is no solution with the Democrats or Republicans,” Maria Eugenia Tomás, webmaster for Radio Miami, told Calero at the gathering point for the caravan. “Obama is the same. We need change—a profound change from the base, a social change.”

“There is important resistance taking place today that is reflected in the protests against deportations and for legalization of undocumented immigrants and other actions,” Calero said in the exchange.

At a campaign rally a day later, Calero demanded that the U.S. government lift the embargo against Cuba and normalize all relations.

In Orlando, Calero celebrated with campaign supporters the victory in getting on the ballot in Florida and discussed opportunities for them to get out and campaign among working people and youth for the next five weeks.

At a campaign rally in Miami September 21, Calero was joined by Omari Musa, SWP candidate for Congress in District 21, and Margaret Trowe, SWP candidate for Congress in District 17.

Trowe called for dropping the charges against the Liberty City Seven, a group of men framed up on terrorism charges, six of whom are still facing charges and one who was acquitted, but faces deportation. She also demanded that the U.S. government cease its attacks on Sami al-Arian, a supporter of Palestinian rights, who recently won freedom from prison but remains under house arrest and is facing another trial.

“Among those standing up to U.S.-government attacks are five Cuban revolutionaries who have been held in U.S. prisons against their will and ours by Washington for 10 years for defending Cuba’s socialist revolution. Their fight is part of broader struggles of workers in the United States,” Calero said. “By learning about their case, we can learn about the weight and place of the Cuban Revolution in the world, and the necessity of making a socialist revolution in the United States also.”

Emily Paul contributed to this article.  
 
 
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