Drawing Support for Cuba – The Story of a Mural

Background:
The 2006 European Meeting of Cuba Solidarity Organisations held in Istanbul, was dominated by one issue and repeatedly profiled by the high level Cuban delegation in attendance - the need to challenge United States’ plans for regime change in Cuba.  These plans have been outlined by the US government’s Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, which was established in 2004 and reports directly to the President.  Better known as Plan Bush and headed up by Condoleezza Rice, the Commission’s mission, contained in a July 2006 report is ‘to hasten and ease a democratic transition in Cuba’. 
The US administration has earmarked $80 million to finance the strategic objectives of Plan Bush which include supporting opposition groups in Cuba and appointing a US Proconsul in Cuba, similar to the Paul Bremmer post in Iraq, to oversee the transition.  The plan foresees the introduction of free market reforms in Cuba and the establishment of a transitional government.  In short, the plan aims to eradicate the social and economic achievements of the Cuban revolution, sweep away the revolutionary government, and consign the people once more to US control and exploitation. 
Far from creating an international furore or screams of diplomatic outrage, Plan Bush has largely been greeted by nodding approvement from Western governments with plans already afoot to introduce a similar measure in the EU.  Rather than indulge itself in much needed self-reflection and moral rectitude following its disastrous enterprises in Iraq and Afghanistan, the US feels completely as ease in unilaterally designing and disseminating a blueprint for regime change in a sovereign, independent state.

The Plan:
The challenge for Cuba Support Group in Belfast was finding a way to initiate public debate on Plan Bush in an accessible format that generated awareness of US intentions for Cuba.  We opted for a highly visible approach based on the north of Ireland’s longstanding tradition of painting murals to promote issues of civic, social, economic and political concern.  Although political murals in Republican and Loyalist areas have attracted greater media attention as reflecting the sentiments of communities at key stages of the conflict in the north, murals have always had a larger social objective. 
As part of an increasingly popular tourist trail in Belfast, Derry and elsewhere, murals also address a range of cultural and historical issues like the Irish language, An Gorta Mor (the Great Hunger), Irish mythology, dance and music, sport (from George Best to Gaelic football and hurling) and literature.  Important social issues have also been profiled like unemployment, health, urban regeneration and education while differences found in murals on the Shankill and the Falls Roads can be used to test the political temperature in those areas and the state of mind of the communities regarding the peace process and other key issues.

A traditional aspect of murals in Republican and Nationalist areas has been their international dimension as they related their own political struggle with those of other peoples around the world including the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, the Palestinians, the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, the Zapatistas in Mexico, and the revolution in Cuba which was regularly cited as an inspiration in the writings of political activists in the north.

The Artist as a Political Activist:
The global dimension of mural painting grew to the point where an extended ‘international wall’ was created on the Falls Road, one of the main arterial routes into Belfast’s city centre.  Cuba Support Group commissioned its mural on Plan Bush as one of the highly visible, colourful, provocative and attractive murals on the international wall.  The commission was given to Danny Devenny, an internationally renowned muralist who describes himself as a political activist rather than an ‘artist’ and regards his work as an important contribution to political awareness and activism on issues.  Danny has worked on plays and films and his murals have been syndicated to millions around the world.  Danny has become synonymous with mural painting in the north and has painted most of the murals to be seen in nationalist areas that suffered the effects of conflict.  The mural is ideally located and difficult to miss for any commuter traveling into Belfast’s city centre.

The Mural:
The main challenge in designing the mural was conveying in pictorial form the threat posed to Cuba by Plan Bush.  We needed to mix familiar images of Cuba like the iconic Ché with the omnipresent threat from its northern neighbour.  We opted for a familiar Uncle Sam with the face of George Bush crouching in a threatening pose over the island of Cuba with blood drenched hands.  The people of Cuba are represented in defiant pose flanked by classic revolutionary portraits of Ché and Fidel.  While we were aware that Fidel has never propagated his image in Cuba or consciously made himself the face of the revolution, Cuba Support Group felt it important to acknowledge his leadership of the revolutionary process and inspirational defiance of US imperialism.  The lettering is simple: ‘USA: Hands Off Cuba’ followed by ‘Stop Plan Bush’ and ending with ‘Stop the crazy son of a Bush’!  Murals often use humour as a means of fixing an image or message in the public mind. 
The mural has generous dimensions - 13 feet high and 20 feet wide – and a digital image of the mural has been widely circulated both locally and internationally, including to our friends and partners in Cuba.
Murals have long provided a fascinating insight into Irish society and politics and the conflict in the north.  Many of these murals have been captured and brilliantly analysed – both Nationalist and Unionist, Republican and Loyalist – by Professor Bill Rolston in his three editions of Drawing Support spanning the period 1992 – 2003 (visit: www.btpale.com).  They include hundreds of images that trace the story of the conflict and the international influences on political activism in Ireland.

The new mural will contribute to a fine tradition of activism through art and will hopefully play an effective role in drawing support for Cuba and encouraging local resistance to Plan Bush.