Sunday 9th August, Brisbane: Campaign closing celebration. Picnic at Wellington Point and a walk to King Island.
We met at Wellington Point on Sunday, 9 August, for the finale of the From Australia to Cuba with Love campaign — and what a finale it was!
All our goals were met and exceeded. With more than 80 participants, we collectively covered the distance all the way to Cuba and raised funds for solar panels to help people on the island despite the energy crisis caused by the ongoing US blockade.
It was a friendly gathering at King Island — known as Yerabin — with an excellent talk by local windsurfer Trevor Beryl about the ecology of the island and its colonial past.
On a personal note, I was able to complete 1,011 kilometres on my bike. We reached a grand total of nearly 15,000 kilometers with 80 participants walking, riding, gardening, pilates and other exercise on our virtual journey to Havana.
Fittingly I did the last 72 kilometers of this campaign with Lachlan Hurse who is an absolute Trogan on the bike. I wish him good luck in the Tour of Samoa a race that he began competing in last year.
A big thank you to the organisers of the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society for bringing the campaign together. And a special mention to two super-networkers, Sue Monk and Lachlan Hurse, who once again carried much of the burden of organising and promoting the campaign.
Ian Curr, 10 Aug 2026
Viva Cuba libre! 🇨🇺
End the US blockade of Cuba!
We have raised your matter with the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon. Penny Wong, who have provided us with information regarding Australia’s voting record.
Australia again voted in favour of the annual United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution on ending the embargo against Cuba in October 2025 because the embargo restricts open trade and investment.
This is separate to the procedural votes in July 2026, which related to the question of whether to hold an additional UN General Assembly debate on the same agenda item.
Australia’s abstention on these procedural votes reflects our principled position not to duplicate matters considered in the UN General Assembly, as well as longstanding and ongoing concerns about the human rights situation in Cuba.
This includes Cuba’s failure to comply with international human rights standards, including ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression and association affecting everyday Cubans.
Nonetheless, Australia participated in the subsequent UN General Assembly debate, including to make clear its concerns regarding the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which is affecting access to food, clean water, health care and other essential services.
Australia also reiterated its consistent support for open trade and investment and underlined that it continues to support an end to the embargo against Cuba.
Australia’s statement to the UN General Assembly is available here: 260710 – UN General Assembly Debate on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba
Australia is also providing support for the ongoing humanitarian situation in Cuba.
This includes Australia’s annual AUD $40 million contribution to the World Food Programme (WFP).
From January to March 2026, the WFP provided food assistance to around 500,000 people in Cuba.
Australia also supported the humanitarian response to Hurricane Melissa last year through Australia’s Direct Aid Program and contributions to the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, which allocated USD $4 million to help mitigate the humanitarian impacts.
Kara Cook MP
Federal Member for Bonner
A: 69 Clara Street, Wynnum Qld 4178
P: 07 3893 3488
“…..our principled position not to duplicate matters considered in the UN General Assembly”
The claim of “principle” on a procedural matter is a hollow claim given that there have been substantial changes of circumstances. The United States has ramped up longstanding oppressive sanctions against Cuba since the October 2025 vote. It is now imposing an effective siege on Cuba calculated to destroy the Cuban economy its health and education systems and to expose its people to starvation.
The United States has made it clear that its purpose is to effect regime change. The US action offends the UN charter against non-interference in sovereign nations internal affairs.
It must also be said that the response and the Australian government’s statement to the UN unduly criticizes the human rights record of the Cuban Government .
The claims of arbitrary detention and limits on the freedom of expression are difficult to evaluate without details .
It must be said that any such evaluation would need to take into account that Cuba is a country under siege.
There is a history of Western democratic countries enacting harsh measures in emergencies and war time. Indeed, current examples of extraordinary sentences against anti- ICE protestors in the U.S., extraordinary overreach by the UK government in the Palestine Action legislation, and even the Queensland government’s criminalization of words supporting Palestinian rights and opposing the Gaza genocide, all of which have no emergency or war to justify them, may provide interesting comparison for their rectitude by comparison to Cuban actions.
It is interesting that Australian government , at the same time as it abstained on the vote to debate the Cuba Siege on the grounds of Cuban government repression of its citizens was passing legislation to further extend the sunset date for operation of the AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION ACT 1979 powers to detain for 7 days and question under compulsion to answer (removal of right to silence and non- self-incrimination) and other extraordinary powers to repress Australian citizens. The sunset provisions in this legislation originally enacted in response to the “9/11” attacks on the U.S.25 years ago, have been routinely extended with bipartisan support such that they have become entrenched legislation.