July 3, 2008

Pastors for Peace Caravan Threatened With Arrest for Exercising Their Right to Protest

Despite previous agreements, federal agents seized 31 computers from the
Pastors for Peace as they attempted to cross Pharr International Bridge
early this morning at the US-Mexico border.

The U.S. government has forced the issue by turning back on previous
actions and agreements" said Rev. Lucius Walker, Executive Director of
IFCO/Pastors for Peace. " They have intentionally provoked and harass us
he continued.

"We will not be intimidated. We have made every effort to be cooperative
and they have responded with aggression. These computers are the same
type as the hundreds we have taken in the past", said Rev. Walker.

These computers were donated by a Japanese-American group from the Bay
Area of California. They were so impressed with Cuba's educational
system that they collected used PCs from their community to contribute
to the 19th Pastors for Peace US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan.

In addition to the computers, participants are taking 100 tons of
humanitarian aid across the US-Mexico border and on to Cuba. The aid
includes wheelchairs, medicine, musical instruments, sports equipment,
six brightly-painted school buses and a bookmobile to be donated to the
people of Cuba.

The caravanistas are challenging US law by delivering aid and traveling
to Cuba without a license. They range in age from 8 to 86, and include
Irish, British, German, and Canadian citizens as well as US citizens.
Seven members of the caravan are Cuban-Americans. The Caravan also
includes a contingent of hip hop and spoken word artists who will be
meeting up with their fellow artists in Cuba.

Although they come from a broad variety of ages and backgrounds, the
caravanistas are united in their determination to bring an end to the
immoral and unjust blockade against Cuba. Explaining why they are
participating in this year's Friendshipment Caravan, caravanistas said:

"A person does not need an ancestral connection with Cuba in order to
believe that what America has done and continues to do is not only
immoral but denies us our right to travel as Americans."

"It is our obligation as citizens to be informed about what is happening
90 miles off our shores; I am addressing this by witnessing it with my
own eyes."

Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for
Community Organization (IFCO), an ecumenical agency with a 40-year
history of work for social justice. More information and photo images
of the caravan are available at www.pastorsforpeace.org

Forwarded In solidarity,
Thomas W. Warner (secretary Seattle/Cuba Friendship Committee - a Task
Force of the Church Council of Greater Seattle)
8923 2nd Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA, 98115
206 523-1720
warner@scn.org
http:www.seattlecuba.net