“Culture is not a secondary aspect of a people’s life, especially when they are subject to an illegal blockade: it is one of the areas by which their capacity to resist and preserve their identity is measured.” This was how the organisers of the “Energy for Life” campaign commented on the inauguration of the solar power plant completed today at the National Council of Houses of Culture in Havana.
The campaign, promoted by ARCI, ANPI, CGIL, the National Association for Italian-Cuban Friendship, Nexus and ARCS, was launched in response to the tightening of the illegal US embargo against Cuba.
The event, which forms part of the ‘Carovana Rotta su Cuba’ programme, was accompanied by a cultural performance featuring traditional Cuban dances and songs, highlighting the role that popular culture continues to play even during the most difficult phase of the energy and humanitarian crisis affecting the country.
The ‘Energy for Life’ campaign raised 405,000 euros thanks to 1,600 donations, mobilising hundreds of clubs, trade union organisations, local associations and citizens throughout Italy. The funds enabled the installation of 391 solar panels in 11 essential facilities in the health, food security and cultural sectors, with a direct or indirect impact on over 800,000 people.
In the cultural sphere, the projects involved the Houses of Culture in El Plátano (Pilón, Granma), Regino Eladio Boti (Imías, Guantánamo), Poblado del Cobre (Santiago de Cuba) and, indeed, the National Council of Houses of Culture in Havana, where solar power now ensures the continued operation of artistic workshops and support facilities dedicated to children, young people, the elderly and those in vulnerable circumstances.
“Cuba has always demonstrated this: even during the toughest moments of its recent history, the Houses of Culture have never stopped opening their doors and keeping the collective identity alive,” added the organisers. “Ensuring a power supply to these spaces means ensuring that culture continues to be, for the Cuban people, a tool for resistance, social interaction and self-determination. Every panel installed is a concrete act of international solidarity that breaks the isolation imposed by the blockade.”
Energy, culture and direct links between communities remain instruments of solidarity and support for the Cuban people’s right to freely build their own future.