Latin American Left leads a green revolution

On Thursday 4th September, the Cuban activist Roberto Perez will be kicking off his UK tour with a Green Left rally at Bolivar Hall, 54 Grafton Way, near Warren Street tube station. The Venezuelan Embassy is hosting the event, which starts at 7PM.

 Speakers include Dr. Diana Raby, Lecturer at the Institute of Latin American Studies (University of Liverpool), Nestor Lopez of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Dr. Derek Wall, Green Party Principal Speaker.
Cuba was forced to go green in the 1990s when the collapse of the Soviet Union cut off cheap supplies of oil and Roberto Perez has been at the forefront of the changes they have made. Cuba has worked hard to generate energy through renewables.  Schools in rural areas in particular get their energy from solar panels and wind turbines are springing up everywhere. Perhaps the most important part of Cuba’s true green revolution is agricultural.

Cuba introduced permaculture, a special form of organic farming during the 1990s.  Organic is important because it is not based on oil. Important when oil costs more than $100! It quite literally stopped people from starving and Havana is virtually self-sufficient in fresh fruit and vegetables.  They proved that using less carbon could lead to a higher standard of living, bringing increased prosperity for Cubans.

Cuba’s green vision has been taken up in Venezuela. Now, Bolivia and Ecuador look set to follow.  Roberto Perez wants to spread the word to activists and also to migrants here from Latin America.

 

Contact:

Farid Bakht,

Media Relations, Green Left