Leading Green Linked to Cubans, "Urewera 17"
Wellington based meteorologist Paul Bruce is a leading member of the Green Party
Bruce was International Secretary of the Green Party 2000/03, Wellington Province Greens Co-convenor 2003/4, Treasurer/membership secretary 1998/2001, Wellington Regional Council Candidate 2001, 2004 and successfully in 2007, a Green list candidate in 2002 and number 18 on the party's list in 2005.
Bruce has also had a longstanding interest in Latin American revolutionary politics.
He is a leader of the Latin America Solidarity Committee Aotearoa an umbrella group for several local organisations promoting Latin American radical movements and socialist governments.
The LASC is very keen to promote ties with Cuba and was over the moon when New Zealand welcomed its first ever resident Cuban ambassador José Luis Robaina Garcia, in November 2007.
Paul Bruce and his comrades resolved to make the ambassador's stay a pleasant one and to work with him as closely as possible.
From Latin American Solidarity Committee Minutes
Meeting Sunday 9th December 2007, 272 Ohiro Road, Wellington. 5pm
Present: Paul Bruce, Nicole Benkhert, Lucia Zanmonti, Mercedes Gazaron, Lorena Gonzales, Ben Robinson, Carla Batista, Melissa, Metien, Neil, Ron Apologies: Jorge Hererra, Rolando Olmedo, Toni Carson, Michelle Campbell Minute Taker: Julie Webb-Pullman
Cuban Embassy – discussed opening of Cuban Embassy in NZ, how LAC can work with them. Decided to invite the new Ambassador and his wife to a social event at Havana Bar in the next two weeks, to welcome them and explain what LAC does, investigate ways of working together. Carla said her father is very interested in meeting them, helping set up a Cuban Friendship Society here, but he is only in NZ for a few months more.
Some discussion about LAC as umbrella for other groups such as Zapatista Support Group, Cuba Friendship Society, danger of spreading too thinly. Needs more discussion in January/after speaking with Ambassador. Action: JWP to contact Ambassador to find which day suits him for welcome, notify LAC list.
Carla Batista incidentally is the daughter of Victor Batista, a refugee from Pinochet's Chile, former member of the Wellington executive of the pro-Soviet Socialist Unity Party and a founder, in the early '80s, of the NZ/Cuba Friendship Society.
Julie Webb-Pullman has been a long time journalist for Cuban state news agency Prensa Latina and is a leading activist in the Wellington Zapatista Support Group.
The Zapatista Support Group is part of LASC and the two organisations both often hold committee meetings at Wellington's anarchist HQ, 128 Abel Smith Street.
Pullman has written that several of those arrested in the October 15th 2007 anti terror raids-the "Urewera 17" were involved in the Wellington Zapatista Support Group and had travelled to Mexico to meet their revolutionary heroes.
Webb-Pullman was herself in Mexico (when she wasn't in Cuba)for much of 2006.
At one point she travelled to meet the Zapatistas in Chiapas with two fellow members of the Zapatista support Group, Jen Bell and "Urewera 17" arrestee Tim/Ira Bailey.
So the plot thickens. I have posted before about senior Green Party members working alongside "Urewera 17" arrestees.
Paul Bruce is yet another leading Green Party activist with links to the "Urewera 17".
Add the Cubans to the mix and you have a very concerning situation indeed.
Bruce was International Secretary of the Green Party 2000/03, Wellington Province Greens Co-convenor 2003/4, Treasurer/membership secretary 1998/2001, Wellington Regional Council Candidate 2001, 2004 and successfully in 2007, a Green list candidate in 2002 and number 18 on the party's list in 2005.
Bruce has also had a longstanding interest in Latin American revolutionary politics.
He is a leader of the Latin America Solidarity Committee Aotearoa an umbrella group for several local organisations promoting Latin American radical movements and socialist governments.
The LASC is very keen to promote ties with Cuba and was over the moon when New Zealand welcomed its first ever resident Cuban ambassador José Luis Robaina Garcia, in November 2007.
Paul Bruce and his comrades resolved to make the ambassador's stay a pleasant one and to work with him as closely as possible.
From Latin American Solidarity Committee Minutes
Meeting Sunday 9th December 2007, 272 Ohiro Road, Wellington. 5pm
Present: Paul Bruce, Nicole Benkhert, Lucia Zanmonti, Mercedes Gazaron, Lorena Gonzales, Ben Robinson, Carla Batista, Melissa, Metien, Neil, Ron Apologies: Jorge Hererra, Rolando Olmedo, Toni Carson, Michelle Campbell Minute Taker: Julie Webb-Pullman
Cuban Embassy – discussed opening of Cuban Embassy in NZ, how LAC can work with them. Decided to invite the new Ambassador and his wife to a social event at Havana Bar in the next two weeks, to welcome them and explain what LAC does, investigate ways of working together. Carla said her father is very interested in meeting them, helping set up a Cuban Friendship Society here, but he is only in NZ for a few months more.
Some discussion about LAC as umbrella for other groups such as Zapatista Support Group, Cuba Friendship Society, danger of spreading too thinly. Needs more discussion in January/after speaking with Ambassador. Action: JWP to contact Ambassador to find which day suits him for welcome, notify LAC list.
Carla Batista incidentally is the daughter of Victor Batista, a refugee from Pinochet's Chile, former member of the Wellington executive of the pro-Soviet Socialist Unity Party and a founder, in the early '80s, of the NZ/Cuba Friendship Society.
Julie Webb-Pullman has been a long time journalist for Cuban state news agency Prensa Latina and is a leading activist in the Wellington Zapatista Support Group.
The Zapatista Support Group is part of LASC and the two organisations both often hold committee meetings at Wellington's anarchist HQ, 128 Abel Smith Street.
Pullman has written that several of those arrested in the October 15th 2007 anti terror raids-the "Urewera 17" were involved in the Wellington Zapatista Support Group and had travelled to Mexico to meet their revolutionary heroes.
Webb-Pullman was herself in Mexico (when she wasn't in Cuba)for much of 2006.
At one point she travelled to meet the Zapatistas in Chiapas with two fellow members of the Zapatista support Group, Jen Bell and "Urewera 17" arrestee Tim/Ira Bailey.
So the plot thickens. I have posted before about senior Green Party members working alongside "Urewera 17" arrestees.
Paul Bruce is yet another leading Green Party activist with links to the "Urewera 17".
Add the Cubans to the mix and you have a very concerning situation indeed.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
1/19/2008 12:32:00 PM
9 Comments:
Hi Trevor,
Just to note, watching Rage Against The Machine last night in Auckland at the Big Day Out was probably one of the largest expressions of Zapatista solidarity that has ever occurred in New Zealand. Rage Against The Machine, which unfortunately I expect you will not have already heard of, are an American rock band that are strongly dedicated to important causes, like self-determination for the Zapatistas and the indigenous of people of Mexico at large, trampled by free trade, Mexican apartheid (don't let that word make you immediately support the Mexican government though) and such like.
Many of their songs deal with Zapatista themes, as well as those of the American homeless and workers, how American imperialism harms most of the worlds population and generally good political causes.
They themselves have done more to popularise supporting the EZLN cause than anyone else on the globe, potentially, and Sub-Comandante Marcos (the chief spokesman for the Zapatistas, not their leader as you may have presumed) is a fan of theirs.
Kindest regards,
Oliver
Thanks oliver, I have heard of RATM, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello etc.
I am a pretty hip and groovy guy after all.
BTW-I know anarchists pretend not to have leaders, but they do-and Subcom marcos is definitely the Zapatista big cheese.
Hope you enjoyed the show.
I'm a luddite myself.
Dirk
This looks like the soviet policy of exporting communism by supporting/ funding sympathisers within free countries.
Similar to the islamic idea of emigrating to democratic countries and breeding to the point of being a majority.
Thankfully the US constitution stands as a beacon of freedom to the world. Lets hope the yanks recognise this and preserve it.
The United States is a hell of a place alright.
Can't understand why tens of millions of Mexicans would rather live there. They don't seem to be queueing to get into the paradise of Cuba, though.
America as a capitalist hell? Yeah right.
The Melon Greens are duplicitous, misguided, and a lot thicker than they realise.
The ELZN is not an anarchist group Trev.
Y.
Marcos is a commie Y. so that about makes him Satan in this corner of the net, and his whole org the devils spawn... 'objectively' speaking... ;)
perhaps all those boat people are actually going to cuba for the free health care and have been blown of course to florida? oops!
Good to hear Markos.
ACT has always been the friend of those in need.
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