“Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason,
knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.”
– Jose Marti

AltruVistas’ community, family and friends send its solidarity and concern to the people of Cuba. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who were killed by Hurricane Irma. We applaud the Cuban system’s level of preparedness that saves lives and we wish the nation well as it rebuilds infrastructure and lives.

• After Irma, a Look at Why Cubans are 15 Times Less Likely to Die from Hurricanes Than Americans

As a member of the National Network on Cuba, we would also like to share our collective thoughts, “ that we also believe it is critical to emphasize the reality of global warming in aggravating the severity and danger of hurricanes which are strengthened by warm waters as in the Caribbean.”

Again, we point out the willingness of the Cuban government to cooperate with the United States on issues of meteorology, climate, emergency preparedness, etc.

We recognize and commend the immediate and generous response that Cuba has offered to its neighbors in the Caribbean who also have suffered the devastating effects of hurricanes. As it always does, Cuba responded immediately by sending medical and construction personnel to assist and does so willingly as its duty to humanity.

While Cuba is undoubtedly in need of material and humanitarian aid, we in the United States can best help by also focusing our efforts to end the economic, commercial, and financial blockade that the U.S. government has imposed upon Cuba for over 55 years.

Right now, the –Days Of Action are taking place in Washington, DC. We are certain that in the advocacy meetings with members of Congress, the effects of the blockade in relation to hurricane relief will be raised by the participants in these actions.

We at AltruVistas believe that the US embargo should be lifted and all travel restrictions eradicated.

How You Can Donate To Cuba

For those of you inspired to give back to Cuba, perhaps in the same vein that Cuba has inspired generously to you we recommend donating to a reputable organization with the ability to work effectively in Cuba.

Here are a few for you to browse and donate through:

http://shop.cuba-solidarity.org.uk/departments/events-and-tickets/634/donation-to-csc-hurricane-irma-appeal

https://support.crs.org/donate/hurricane-irma-relief?utm_source=crs.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=hurricane-irma&utm_content=hero&_ga=2.169014369.1333657342.1505155055-387273793.1485226558

In the Spirit of Solidarity & Generosity,
The AltruVistas Team