By IFCO / Pastors for Peace

Pastors for Peace   MEDIA ADVISORY for immediate release    

THE US BLOCKADE IS CRUMBLING!

130 volunteers from the US, Canada, and Europe successfully challenged the US economic blockade of Cuba today when they crossed over into Reynosa, Mexico with 100 tons of humanitarian aid bound for Cuba.

Rev. Tom Smith, IFCO/Pastors for Peace board chair said  “The blockade is crumbling—like all walls eventually crumble. We have received a tremendous outpouring of support throughout the U.S.”

“People have demonstrated their desire to end this inhumane policy towards Cuba by their generous donations and by their informed questions. People want the freedom to travel to Cuba without limitations by the U.S. government.”

"We have met people throughout the US who are willing to do more to make this change happen.” Smith continued. Thousands of people signed up for our emergency response network—standing ready to make calls to their congressional representatives and the Obama administration demanding that our aid to go through." said Smith.

The border crossing from McAllen, Texas was “the easiest crossing so far.” said Rev. Lucius Walker, executive director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace.

Seven brightly painted schoolbuses filled with aid, two large box trucks (filled with aid collected by Cuban-Americans in Florida), and several smaller vehicles make up this year's caravan, which is carrying urgently needed construction supplies for victims of the three hurricanes that hit Cuba in the summer of 2008.  Nearly 500,000 Cuban homes were damaged by the hurricanes. 

The caravan stopped in 140 cities over the last two weeks.  Every place the caravan stopped, the message was clear: ‘President Obama, it's time to end this blockade!"  

Pastors for Peace is a project of the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO), a national ecumenical agency that has been working for social, racial, and economic justice since 1967.   

Photographs, video clips, and additional information are available on our website and blog at www.pastorsforpeace.org.

Contact:                

Ellen Bernstein, 646/319-5902

in NYC:  Lucia Bruno 212/926-5757, 347/423-4330