Homeland Security Seizes 32 Computers Bound for Cuba at Texas-Mexico Border

MEDIA ADVISORY

Thursday, July 3, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:
In McAllen, Texas:
Ellen Bernstein 646/319-5902

In New York City:
Lucia Bruno 347/423-4330

Homeland Security Agents Seize 32 Computers Bound for Cuba at Texas-Mexico Border

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

Federal agents seized 32 computers from Pastors for Peace as they attempted to cross the 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 understandings” said Rev. Lucius Walker, Executive Director of IFCO/Pastors for Peace. “They have intentionally provoked and harassed 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.

Members of the Pastors for Peace caravan quickly launched an emergency outreach campaign to their elected representatives, local community networks, and local media. They demonstrated in the Customs compound, chanting” Si se puede” and “Cuba si, bloqueo no.”

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 PCs in their community to contribute to the 19th Pastors for Peace US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan. As a result of this US seizure, 32 Cuban classrooms will not have a computer from this 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, medical equipment, musical instruments, sports equipment, six brightly-painted school buses and a bookmobile to be donated to the people of Cuba.

The caravanistas are challenging an inhumane 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 http://www.pastorsforpeace.org.