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Venceremos Forever
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 By: Juan Paxety

Back in the near pre-historic days, when I was in college, every year some of the hippies would run around recruiting for the Venceremos Brigade under a banner "Venceremos Forever." The Brigage was a group of people who would volunteer to go to Cuba and help fidel cut sugar cane. After all, the evil Amerikkkan administration had been bought out by the U.S. sugar growers and had established a blockade. fidel needed help and the trip would give the students a chance to experience the glorious life of a socialist first hand.

Funny, it was always different kids recruiting every year - never any repeats.

Anyway, they're still at it. AIN reports the 36th Venceremos Brigade consisting of 60 Americans have arrived in solidarity with fidel and in defiance of U.S. travel restrictions.

The brigade will be officially welcomed on Monday at the Julio Antonio Mella International Camp, located in the outskirts of Havana.

The activists traveled to Cuba at the invitation of the Cuban Friendship Institute in to demonstrate their rejection of the US economic blockade against the island.

During the 14-day visit, the brigade will make a tour of important places in Havana, Matanzas and Pinar del Rio. They have also been invited to the celebrations of National Rebellion Day on July 26.

Interesting - years ago the emphasis was on work. There's not a word about work in the AIM story - it sounds more like a tour.