Last week, 7 members of Veterans For Peace were on a delegation in Cuba, attending the 5th annual international seminar on the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases. 250 delegates from around the world were present at the seminar, representing communities that are impacted by U.S militarism.
Ann Wright, VFP advisory board member, presented on the first day of the seminar, providing an analysis of ‘The Trump Administration, the Middle East, and the US Military Base in Guantanamo.’ Ann Wright is a former U.S diplomat who resigned from Bush’s cabinet in opposition to the Iraq War in 2003 and has spent the past 14 years protesting U.S wars and working for peace.
During her presentation, Colonel Wright issued an apology to the people of Cuba for the U.S military base and prison located in Guantanamo Bay, which is a direct violation of the Cuban people’s sovereignty. The US has occupied this site for 119 years, the longest in its history. For 15 years, the Guantanamo prison has been the site for the U.S torture program. Since then, members of Veterans For Peace have demonstrated in the streets, disrupted Congress, and demanded the prisoners held there are released. We stand with the people of Cuba and demand the closure of U.S prison and military bases in Guantanamo Bay and for the land to be returned to the people of Cuba.
As part of our mission, Veterans For Peace is dedicated to ending war and building a culture of peace. Currently, the United States has bases in over 150 countries. U.S military presence abroad does not bring security or build peace. The U.S must release this land, bring home the troops, and work to mend diplomatic relations.
Colonel Ann Wright (Hawaii), Monisha Rios (California), Patrick McCann (Florida), Dud Hendrix (Maine), Bill Warrick (New York), Lewis Wolfe (Washington DC) and Casey Stinemetz (Missouri) are the Veterans For Peace delegates.