◆ SpookStack

31 December 1969 . . . . SITUATION INFORMATION REPORT Vencercmos Bripade Update - * While most Americans spend year-end holidays a t home or with friends, and s e v e r a l thousands m o r e dcvote themselves to low- key, hometown anti-war'vigils, sing-ins, and peace demonstrations, another m u c h smaller group will be hacking 'and stacking s u g a r cane in C u b a ' s Havana Piovince. P a n t h e r s and m'embers o f Students for a Democratic Society, plns othcr radicalized American youth, all sharing pro-Castro sentiments and opposing what they term U. S. imperialism. These will be predominantly Black The first Venccremas Brigade continpent was comprised of 216 Americans. Gcographically, California's Bay A r e a provided 50 to 100 youth: 30 came f r o m the Seattle a r e a : D. C. .supplied 12: and the rernaindcr c a m e f r o m the New York-Boston and Uctroit-Chicago complexes. their own transportation (from personal or contributed funds) to Mexico City during the f i r s t week in December, w h c r e they immc- diately boarded Cubana Airline planes for tlic IlighPto Iiavana. Dwight Hankin, 19-year-old Detroit black, was spokesman a t the a i r p o r t for the first grpup of 74. arc white, despite organizers' efforts to attract equal groups of white, black, and brown youth. .. The average age of Brigade m e m b e r s is in t.hc c a r l y * twenties, with sonic teenagers, and a few older men. Thoy paid About 70 percent o f the volunteers Half of the travelers arc womcn. The Brigade llcampamento" (tent camp) is Located near hquacate, about a two-hour bus ride from Havana. Its director is Javier Ardizones, interna'tional ;elations coordinatbr for the Young Conrmunist Leagues, wlia told the w l u n t a c r s thcir prcsence lic:lp(*d to destroy the U. S. altcinpts to "Blockade, Cuba from thc rcst o f Llic world. 'I. His listcncrs chccrcd whcn they Lcarnad the Cuban harvest was tlcdicated to tlic peoplc ol Victnatn. Americans w e r e issucd wcqk s h i r t s , t r o u s c r s and shoes. Aftc r w a r d s , 0 A typical workdai'bcgins with the 6:OO a.m. bugle,. followcd by breakfast (rolls, coffee and milk). consisting of Amcricans and Cuban countcrparts ( m e m b e r s of a Then the 10 sub-Urigades - + . - i . , , ~ m " . , r m r , , q r m , . ....( ", ) , . 1, , . t ,..-, ---, . . . . I , , . ....