Peace and Solidarity Commission report presented by Henry Lowendorf to the CPUSA National Committee meeting of July 11, 2026.

The U.S./Israeli aggression on Iran is off and running again, aimed to achieve U.S. imperialism’s overall goals of controlling West Asia and hobbling China. The U.S. continues supporting Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, destruction of Lebanon, and occupation of Syrian lands. The U.S. government openly supports Syria’s fanatical dictatorship.

U.S. imperialism has intensified its imposition of the hostile Monroe Doctrine, totally controlling Latin America, manipulating elections and economies, forcing countries to the far right, and suppressing any progressive movements and governments. Yet resistance continues at the cost of blood. The Trump administration has forcibly taken over Venezuela’s oil wealth and is imposing its demands on that nation’s government.

We urge every effort to call for an end to the bloody war between Russia and Ukraine, which is dangerously widening and which primarily benefits the U.S. industries of death.

There is far too little action in defense of Haiti, Sudan, and the rest of Africa.

Trump is threatening overt military aggression on Cuba and has ratcheted up the siege of Cuba to its highest pitch in over six decades. A core Party priority now is to help save the Cuban revolution from destruction by the scourge of U.S. imperialism. We urge using the seven-point toolkit that the Peace and Solidarity Commission (PSC) and International Department created and that the Org Department sent out on June 6.

1. Congress can act to stem the criminal and inhumane blockade, but we must demand it. We must demand a stop to the Trump administration’s stated illegal plans for military attack on Cuba after creating a cruel humanitarian crisis with a full-scale oil blockade. To begin, ensure that all your members have sent letters to their legislators, using the Action Network Rapid Response. Although this Rapid Response has been posted more than once, to date only 107 people have clicked through to send their three letters. It’s a very easy way to express your feelings as constituents.
2. Further, comrades should call and visit their legislators to express their outrage at the cruel immiseration of the Cuban people through US policies. Demand that they support Senate Bill 136 and its House companion bill HR 7521 to end the entire Cuba blockade, as well as House Joint Resolution 153, a war powers resolution focused specifically on Cuba. A recent War Powers Resolution recently passed the House on Iran, so there is hope for a similar victory for the Cuba Resolution.
3. Comrades should find allies in their community who recognize and condemn the imposition of hardship on the Cuban people and the threat of military action against this peaceful neighbor. Faith organizations like the United Methodists and the Universalist Unitarians are against the blockade; trade unions, following the lead of the World Federation of Trade Unions which has launched a Global Campaign for Signatures “Cuba is Not Alone – Firmo por Cuba,” the Canadian Labor Congress, which declared its solidarity with Cuba, and Public Services International, which condemned the blockade. Together you can organize visible, public demonstrations with those allies especially in cities where there is a federal building or a Congressional office where the member needs pressure to support pro-Cuba legislation.
4. Educate your community about the history of deliberate cruelty of US policy toward Cuba, from the beginning of the blockade in 1960 that intended “to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government,” through the latest threats from the Trump administration. Publicize the way our government is targeting Cuba solidarity groups. Further resources are available here thanks to Maine comrades.
5. Hold an event in Cuba solidarity in your community. For example, show a short documentary like Teresita’s Dream: Cuba’s Battle Against Alzheimer’s, which describes the development of an effective drug for Alzheimer’s disease that is not available to us here in the US, or “From Cuba to Calabria,” about the Cuban doctors who are deployed around the world. Add material about Cuba at every tabling event, such as copies of People’s World articles, and (now that the PW Fund Drive is over), raise some funds to donate to Cuba through Global Health Partners or MEDICC.
6. If possible, consider visiting Cuba on one of many available focused labor or health delegations to Cuba. There will be celebrations this August of the 100th anniversary of Fidel’s birth. Upon your return, you could help inform Cuba solidarity groups with your first-hand accounts.
7. Finally, regardless of the action taken, send a note describing your experience to the Americas Committee, a joint effort of the Peace and Solidarity Commission and the International Department at peacesolidarity@cpusa.org.

It is particularly important for us to point out that the siege on Cuba not only deprives Cubans of life’s necessities, but at the same time deprives U.S. residents of the benefit of various Cuban-developed, lifesaving medicines for major diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, and COVID. We urge clubs to publicly screen the documentary Teresita’s Dream: Cuba’s Battle Against Alzheimer’s that reveals Cuba’s Alzheimer’s treatment, unknown and unavailable in the U.S. We urge comrades to lobby to pass these four bills in Congress to prevent a disastrous kinetic war on Cuba and to end the blockade:

• Sen. Wyden’s Senate Bill S.136 and Rep. McGovern’s House Bill H.R. 7521 to end the entire Cuba blockade
• Rep. Velázquez’s House H.J.Res.153 and Sen. Kaine’s Senate S.J.Res.124, war powers resolutions focused specifically on Cuba.

We urge joining No Kings and other mass demonstrations, with posters that say “No Siege, No War on Cuba,” and distributing action-oriented fliers and petitions.

We urge opposition to Trump’s massive U.S. military budget, at least $1.5 trillion, which uses Congress’ must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to include Section 219, which integrates the U.S. military with Israel’s genocidal war machine, and which includes the SAVE ACT, which manipulates elections and guarantees right wing victories. The PSC has made available a banner showing how out of proportion war spending is compared to all other programs. This banner, which illuminates the need to cut the military budget and to use our taxes to fund human needs, has broad reach and is great for tabling during the election season. We propose the Party help with printing. We must never let candidates for Congress brag about how many jobs their vote for the military budget brings to their districts without insisting that they disclose the whole cannibalistic military budget and what it is costing us in lost opportunities.

We urge continuing to lobby to cut the executive’s war power ability and to re-assert Congress’ control over declaring war. We urge more effort demanding the removal of National Guard troops from our cities.

Please look for an upcoming educational webinar on China, U.S.-China relations, and AI.

Image: Fred Barr / CPUSA