Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan Comes to Sacramento

July 10, 2005



Press Release

For immediate release through July 16, 2005

Contacts: Carl Pinkston (916) 736-9843;cpinkston [at] freedomboundcenter.org

Faye Kennedy (916) 484-5025;fayek [at] springmail.com



Sacramento—More than 50 local community members gathered Saturday, July 9 to greet and support the Pastors for Peace (POP) 16th Annual Friendship Caravan to Cuba visit to Sacramento.

The US embargo of Cuba causes shortages of food, medicine and other important supplies for 11 million people. The unjust embargo causes hunger and hardship on the people of Cuba. Many view this embargo as an immoral policy.

The Freedom Bound Center, Central America Action Committee and the Birthing Project co-sponsored this year’s visit. Freedom Bound Center served as the collection and staging site for Sacramento’s efforts. The objective and commitment of Freedom Bound Center is to provide a forum to train future activists. Ashley Payne received training, supervision and support at Freedom Bound Center. Ms. Payne, a northern California resident from Pinole, CA, served as Sacramento’s caravan coordinator...

Ashley is a college student at Amherst College in Amherst, MA (majoring in pre-law). Local school-age, junior and high school students assisted Ashley with the cataloguing and packing the various medical supplies.

On Sunday, July 10 the bus arrived in Sacramento from their Bay Area visit. As always community members’ generous hearts provided more than 15 boxes of medical supplies and equipment. Ashley states “it was an honor to organize this effort and I look forward to joining the caravan on Sunday.” Ashley officially joined the caravan as the bus headed to Fresno, CA.

The caravan will be heading south 13 routes in the US and Canada. The stay in Cuba will coincide with the July 26th celebrations commemorating the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago in 1953 that marked the start of the new struggle to overthrow the dictator. For the 16 years IFCO/Pastors for Peace have mounted this humanitarian effort, the caravanistas will be in Cuba until August 1, 2005.

For more information about the Pastors for Peace or information about joining the caravan, please contact Pastors for Peace at (212) 926-5757 or visit: http://www.ifconews.org.