2007-11-13.
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas, On Behalf of the Christian Liberation Movement
Havana, November 11, 2007.- We are not asking for anything, nor do we
address any leader before the Latin American Summit to ask for an act or
expression in favor of democracy in Cuba or in support of the political
prisoners. We do not summon anyone publicly or privately. The recent
visit by the Director of the Latin American Office to meet with the
Cuban authorities, without interacting with the Cuban people, already
signaled the exclusion of the Cuban people once again at the Latin
American Summit.
We also knew to expect nothing, given the contradictions and incoherence
demonstrated in previous Summits.
This Summit is taking place in Chile, a symbol of peaceful transition to
democracy and the host of the memorable Viña del Mar Summit where the
governments that were present, including that of Cuba, signed in support
of human rights and democracy. But it seems that for the expediency of
these very Summits, the memorable accords from Viña del Mar have instead
been forgotten.
Perhaps much time will pass before the people of Cuba find a reason to
become part of these Summits. In the near future of a free and
democratic Cuba, our children might ask "why doesn't the Cuban state
participate in the Latin American Summit and its institutions?" Surely
we will have to give them a just reply with the truth:
- Because although we are historically, humanly, and culturally part of
that family, those Summits abandoned and denied our people while we
lived under totalitarian oppression.
- Because many Cubans who sent messages to the Summits asking for
solidarity ended up serving cruel prison sentences for only defending
human rights and meanwhile these Summits remained silent and complicit.
- Because those Summits never had the courage to speak up for the rights
of Cubans.
- Because those Summits legitimized and praised the regime that denied
us our liberty, guiltily sanctioning the oppression that our people
suffered.
- Because they had so much fear that they coexisted with a lie, much
further beyond the limits of what was already a ridicule and disdain for
our people.
- Because they did not dare to utter a word of solidarity with the Cuban
people even in the final moments when the people of Cuba needed support
for peaceful changes and dialogue among Cubans, based on respect for
their rights.
There have been brilliant and exceptional individual actions of courage
and coherence at the Summits that have recognized the rights of Cubans
and those of us who defend those rights. To those individuals we send
our permanent gratitude and admiration.
However this Summit that took place in Chile missed the opportunity,
perhaps the last, to vindicate itself in the face of history, the Cuban
people and its own nations. Once again, in such a crucial moment, they
abandoned Cuba, its people, and its citizens and they submitted to the
simulation of a democratic concert, in which there are so many abuses, a
false concert that is a dissonant scandal.
We can proclaim that by the next Latin American Summit the people of
Cuba will already be free, without the support of the Summits and in
spite of the Summits.
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas
On Behalf of the Christian Liberation Movement
http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=12555
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