Solidarity Brigades
Cuba Solidarity and Voluntary Work Brigades are projects annually organized by ICAP (Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples) and AMISTUR-CUBA S.A Travel Agency, to show our country’s reality and add new friends to the movements defended by the Cuban people. Programs include visits to sites of historical, economic, cultural and social interest, both in the capital and other provinces; lectures on the current national and international situation; and meetings with members of Cuban civil society organizations and people in general. There are different types of solidarity brigades: organized by geographical region, of a small format, temporary and international brigades.
International Brigades are the following:
South American Brigade
The South American Cuba Solidarity and Voluntary Work Brigade’s program takes place between January 20 and February 7 approximately. Brigade members are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. This brigade is special in that its members join Cuban youth in their Torch March from the staircase of the University of Havana to Fragua Martiana near the Malecón (seafront) drive. Whenever this brigade’s visit coincides with the International Conference for World Balance, attending this important international event is part of the program.
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José Martí Brigade
Founded in 1973 as the 20th Anniversary of the Attack on the Moncada Barracks Brigade, it was made up of young followers of the Cuban Revolution from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Great Britain, Malta, FRG, Western Berlin, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and Austria. It was originally organized to show Cuba’s friends’ practical solidarity with the Cuban Revolution in that geographical area, strengthen the movement of Cuba solidarity in Western Europe and present an objective view of our reality to various European social media. The second contingent of this brigade came in 1974 and was named after José Martí - the same name it has nowadays. At the beginning, brigadistas worked in the construction of Los Naranjos community and at the Ceiba Agricultural Program together with the Pinar del Río Young Communist League members, students from Warner Moro Language Institute of Oriente, ICAP guides and representatives of other Cuban organizations. This brigade travels to Cuba in July for 21 days, during the summer, bringing donations and engaging in agricultural and construction work in the area around Julio Antonio Mella International Camp in Caimito, Artemisa province.
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Nordic Brigade
Cuba friendship associations in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, established since the 1960’s, decided to get together and set up the Nordic Brigade to provide material aid to the construction of socialism. In 1970, in the heat of the 10 Million Ton Sugar Harvest, the first two contingents travelled to Cuba with nearly 600 brigadistas (members of the brigade). They stayed at tents at a camp in the town of Aguacate, near Madruga, today’s Mayabeque province. The creation of this brigade brought about a new form of establishing contacts with large numbers of friends to show them our reality and strengthen the work of friendship with Cuba developed by friendship associations in Nordic countries. Several famous names and representatives from various sectors in those countries have joined different contingents usually staying from late December to early January to celebrate the triumph of the Revolution.
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Juan Rius Rivera Brigade
Juan Rius Rivera Cuba Solidarity and Voluntary Work Brigade from Puerto Rico is a project to challenge the United States blockade laws against Cuba visiting the island in July. This brigade covers a wide range of visits throughout our country in nearly 21 days. Occasionally, brigadistas are invited to attend the ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary of the attacks on Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons in their host provinces. Cultural activities and exchange with the Cuban people are key components of their programs.
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Cruz del Sur Brigade
Cruz del Sur Brigade is one of the largest delegations of friends welcomed by the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP, Spanish initials). Since 1983, this brigade, originally called “Eureka” and made up of members of the Australia and New Zealand Solidarity Movement, have continuously visited our country motivated by their affinity with the revolutionary project and admiration for the Cuban history. Programs include visits to places of interest, master lectures, engaging in agricultural work, interacting with the Cuban civil society, among other activities, which make this a rather peculiar and enriching experience in relation to traditional tourism.
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Latin American and Caribbean Brigade
The Latin American and Caribbean Cuba Solidarity and Voluntary Work Brigade comes to our country in summertime, from late July to early August. This is the most varied and representative brigade in terms of the number of countries participating with delegations from nearly twenty Latin American and Caribbean nations. A rich cultural exchange among its members as well as with organizers and the Cuban people is a special feature of this brigade. Meetings with Cuban families at CDRs (Committees for the Defense of the Revolution), a visit to Che Guevara Memorial in Villa Clara province and the opportunity to enjoy the warm Caribbean Sea are always favorably received by our friends.
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