From the Puente de Amigos Committee

Dear Friends,

Once again we write to inform you about the work of the Puente de Amigos Committee and to ask for your financial support for our Friends in Cuba. 

Conditions in Cuba continue to deteriorate. There is rampant inflation.  Food and fuel are expensive and scarce. Common medicines are unavailable. This is largely due to our government’s decision to name Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism which prevents our allies from trade with Cuba.

 Earlier this fall there were nationwide blackouts when the country’s electrical grid failed due to its ancient infrastructure, lack of fuel and increased use of air conditioning.   People had to discard spoiled meat.   Before those blackouts Cubans already endured six to eight hours a day without power.  Quakers in Puerto Padre moved worship on Sundays an hour earlier because the blackouts tend to be later in the day.  Visitors from New England reported that last summer when there was no power in the night, they heard neighbors outside chatting with one another. No one could sleep in the heat without fans or air conditioning.  When the power was restored, the neighborhood cheered and went to bed. 

Another hardship is the loss of working age people, leaders in the churches.  Many people have come to the US under the humanitarian parole program.  It is sad for those left behind, and it means that they have more work to do. 

 And yet we admire the ingenuity of our Cuban Friends as they use contributed funds to create programs that enhance their local communities and that produce revenue for the yearly meeting. Cuba Yearly Meeting relies on a small bus for intervisitation and for income.  The lack of fuel and its high cost mean that people are isolated from each other, even in Havana. Last year we sent funds to replace the tires on the bus.  However, the greater need was to rebuild the engine so the funds went to that cause.  Local people outside the church also use the bus for a fee.  These fees help pay the pastors of smaller Quaker churches. 

 In Gibara, Puerto Padre, and Holguin Friends have rebuilt decrepit schools on their property.  The schools were run down because the government had taken the buildings but hadn’t used or maintained them for decades. Some years ago the government returned the buildings to the yearly meeting.  They now serve as conference centers where our Friends can host church functions.  The churches also rent the space out to community groups.  The result is that these three churches are now self-sustaining and do not rely on the yearly meeting to meet their needs. 

In the past year our delegations have continued to train Cuban Quakers in Alternatives to Violence.  They began in September 2023 and continued with delegations in February and June of this year.  This work has transcended Puente by involving trainers from Texas, New York, El Salvador, and Bolivia.  With the level of distress in Cuba, there is increased social tension, and AVP is a useful tool for churches to offer.  In addition, churches can provide workshops to the community at large and charge for them, bringing in much needed revenue. 

In October a delegation from Hanover Monthly Meeting visited their sister meeting in La Habana.   Jorge Luis Peña, clerk of Cuba Yearly Meeting, was able to travel from the Oriente to Havana in the bus, though it took him 18 hours due to the limitations of the bus. This delegation enriched the bond with their meeting, and they brought back a clearer picture of Cuba Yearly Meeting. One Friend noted a loss of hope among Cubans that conditions can improve. 

Despite their challenges, our Cuban Friends have deep faith, humor, amazing ingenuity and resolve.  They  depend on the bridge of love with New England Yearly Meeting to maintain their faith and resolve, to remind them that we see them and remember them.  Likewise, they inspire us. 

With the incoming Trump administration we and our Cuban Friends fear that conditions in Cuba will worsen further. Many in the new government are  hostile to Cuba.  Previously President Trump limited the amount of money that family members could send back to Cuba, and he limited travel. Hence, the Puente Committee desires to send funds and supplies to our Friends as soon as possible before doors are closed. 

We hope that you will be moved to support this vital work. Please consider making a donation to Puente by making a check out to NEYM with “Puente” in the memo line and sending to our bookkeeper: Roland Stern, 86 Barrett Street, Needham, MA 02492 OR following this link: https://www.tfaforms.com/5028973  Les agradecemos mucho.

Carolyn Stone and Richard Lindo, co-clerks, Puente de Amigos Committee