Cuba
Cuba is one of the last remaining examples of communism. Fidel Castro
once declared that he would rather the island sank than gave up the
principles of Cuban socialism.
The experiments of the longest serving communist ruler have deprived
thousands people of their lives. A great number of those who express
free opinion find themselves in crowded prison cells, sharing a little
dirty water with hardened criminals and cockroaches. Every day the Cuban
people try, by any means possible, to escape the suffocating atmosphere
and 24-hour surveillance imposed on them by the regime. In desperation,
they choose to take major risks: it is believed that over 25% of people
die in their attempts to escape from the island.
Without the once substantial support of the Soviet Union and the present
support of Venezuela, the island of Cuba would most likely have sank a
long time ago. This reliance was further evident during a deep crisis at
the beginning of the nineties, when the collapse of support from the
Soviet bloc led to starvation, illnesses and economic collapse. Cubans
themselves sum up the successes of the Marxist revolution very simply:
in Cuba, there are only three minor problems to be solved – breakfast,
lunch and dinner.
In March 2003, 75 representatives of the democratic opposition,
independent journalists, librarians and representatives of independent
trade unions were arrested. Their sentences, with the exception of one,
ranged from 10 to 28 years in prison. This unprecedented crackdown on
dissidents was the regime’s reaction to an increasingly organized
opposition, a developing independent media, a network of independent
libraries offering previously unavailable books to the Cuban people and
undoubtedly the Varela Project, a petition drive often compared to
Charter 77 of Czechoslovakia. By March 2003, more than 11,000 Cubans had
signed the petition and appealed to the Cuban National Assembly to bring
about a referendum so as to change non-democratic laws and provide
amnesty for political prisoners. Rather than providing the referendum
however, the Cuban parliament replied with an amendment to the Cuban
constitution, stating the irrevocable status of the socialist system.
Despite mass arrests and unrelenting intimidation, more than 14.000
signatures were gathered for the Varela Project after March 2003. In May
2005, the biggest public gathering of Cuban opposition groups was
organized. This meeting was organized by the Assembly to Promote Civil
Society in Cuba, whose aim is to strengthen civil society and encourage
the transition to democracy. For a dictatorship based on hypocrisy,
independent journalists are no less dangerous than opposition figures.
Therefore, a number of independent journalists were also victims of the
March 2003 crackdown. Independent journalists provide, even from prison,
regular information for the exile community and foreign media concerning
the situation in Cuba. Although independent media cannot compete with
the daily speeches of the ‘commandante’ broadcast on Cuban television,
the activities of journalists, opposition groups and all those involved
in the Varela Project prove that the Cuban people actively believe in
regime change.
The mass arrests in 2003 elicited a reaction among the general public on
an international scale and politicians from the entire political
spectrum. Yet Castro refuses to surrender under the pressure of his
critics. The small number of political prisoners released by Castro’s
regime were granted temporary freedom simply as a result of their poor
state of health.
The Cuban regime remains in power due to a sophisticated propaganda
machine still tolerated by many of its people. For those who have lived
under a totalitarian regime or can imagine its method of functioning,
this situation is unacceptable. Czechs remember too well the reality of
life under Communism, and also the value of support from abroad. PIN
began working with the democratic movement in Cuba in 1997 by supporting
those peacefully fighting the regime. PIN is dedicated to assisting the
internal opposition, whilst pushing the outside world to stand united
against Castro’s regime.
Projects
* SOS Cuba: Support for the families for Political Prisoners
http://www.clovekvtisni.cz/english/humanitarnipomoc/cuba/help.php
* The International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC)
http://www.clovekvtisni.cz/english/humanitarnipomoc/cuba/international.php
* Other Projects of Support for Democracy in Cuba
http://www.clovekvtisni.cz/english/humanitarnipomoc/cuba/projects.php
* Buy a SOS Cuba T-shirt…
http://www.clovekvtisni.cz/english/humanitarnipomoc/cuba/shirt.php
http://www.clovekvtisni.cz/english/humanitarnipomoc/cuba.php
No comments:
Post a Comment