AIGXICO Campaign to Abolish Third World Debt Badara Ndlaye is the author ot a comprehensive French-language published in French last month by the Belgian organisations GRESA brochure on senegal and the International Monetary Fund and CADTM (Committee to Abolish Third World Debt). To order send 50 FFr or equivalent to SADIM, 29 rue Plantin , 1070 Brussels, Belgium, or La Breche, 9 rue de Tunis, 75011 Paris, France, tel. (33) 1/43 67 63 57, fax: (33) 1/43 79 29 6 Cuba International Solidarity Meeting More than 2,700 delegates from 108 different countries met in Havana from 21 to 25 November 1994. Delegates from parties in power included the ANC of South Africa, the Mozambican Frelimo, the Angolan MPLA, the Vietnamese, North Korean and Chinese Communist Parties). Most of the left wing forces of Latin America were present, including C. Cardenas and Rosario Ibarra from Mexico, the controlling body of El Salvador's FMLN (without Villabos), Daniel Ortega from the FSLN and a representative of the Workers' PArty (PT) from Brazil). European delegates included representatives of the French Communist Party, the Italian Party of Communist Reformation, United Left (Spanish state), the Portuguese Communist Party, the PDS (Germany) and the Fourth International. The European Social Democratic or Labor parties and the Greens were absent. The sizeable delegation of North American solidarity was led by the black preacher, Lucius Walker, who organised the drive with several peace caravans to the island, braving the blockade decreed by his country. This meeting took place at a time when although the living conditions for the Cuban population had improved a little, the situation was still critical. The reintroduction of a peasant free market after the crisis of 'balseros' in August has brought back onto the market certain basic necessities which previously, like dollars, could not be found. Since then the frantic search for greenbacks has diminished, and the dollar has lost its value. On the black market, the American dollar's exchange rate was 85 pesos in December 1993 as opposed to 120 pesos in August 1994 (at the worst moment of the crisis), its rate having been established at 40 pesos in early 1994. With the 'liberta' (the ration card), families can provide the basics for about a week. For the rest of the time they have to manage by buying on the market with pesos or dollars. Pensioners receive between 90 and 130 pesos a month, the majority of wage earners receive between 180 and 350 a month. On the free market the prices are very high: 40 pesos for a kilo of rice, 45 pesos for a kilo of pork. In January 1995 there was a vigorous introduction of new taxes which shocked Cubans who had not paid them since the revolution. Monetary reform is predicted which ought to allow a new parity to be established with the dollar. On the international scale the situation has cooled a little. At the end of October 1994, the General Assembly of the UN once again condemned the blockade implemented by the USA against Cuba. 101 countries voted in condemnation of the blockade, whilst only two countries, the USA and Israel, voted against the resolution. The USA invited all the American states and Miami to a meeting in December 1994. They excluded Cuba, but did not manage to obtain a condemnation of the Castro regime from the conference. In these contrasting circumstances, activities of solidarity in favour of lifting the blockade against Cuba are of great importance. *
International Viewpoint #264 MARCH 1995 13