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The Cuban Dissidence: A Light of Hope in an Enslaved Island
The honorable attitude of many women in their quest for the dignity of their peers throughout the history of the world has penetrated deeply in my mind. They had to change the structural foundation of their countries. These are some beautiful examples worth imitating:
Lucretia, her actions in the field of moral and ethics provoked the fall of a monarchy and the foundation of the Roman Republic.
Joan of Arc, led a small army which provoked in her compatriots the desire for an independent homeland.
Rosa Parks, fought for individual racial equity and her heroic position helped give rise to a civil rights movement in America which led to great change in the nation.
Women leading their nations: Margaret Thatcher, Corazón Aquino, Violeta Chamorro and Angela Merker, are talented examples to be imitated I hope the same will happen in my country.
Cuban women are not exempt from carrying out valiant acts for society. There are many cases, I will only mention a few:
· Emilia Teube Tolón made the original Cuban flag and was the first woman deported for political reasons.
· Mrs. Palma, the first woman who carried out civil disobedience in our nation, died as a consequence of the abuse from her adversaries.
· Mariana Grajales’, love for her country was reflected in her children, since all of them fought for Cuba´s independence.
In contemporary society, love for the fatherland and heroic courage are also manifested in some of our female citizenry, especially by the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) who have fractured past the foundation of the totalitarian regime that rules our homeland.
This civil movement of women was created with the sole objective of protesting the incarceration of 75 dissidents during the Black Spring of 2003 and to seek freedom. It is the only opposition group that has designed a plan for non violent resistance which has been carried out intelligently and with perseverance during the past seven years.
Their simple and brilliant deeds: visiting catholic churches dressed in white holding a flower, walking around solemnly in public places to express disapproval of the incarceration of their loved ones, they have earned them the admiration and respect of the nation and the world.
These public pressures in addition to some others led the government of the Island to accept their claims and made the leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba participants by having them mediate. This special circumstance of dialog between the President of the Council of State and ministers Raúl Castro and the spiritual leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardenal Jaime Ortega and Monsignor Dionisio García Ibáñez, about the serious problems affecting the country, among them negotiations with the Damas de Blanco for the release from prison of their relatives and other political prisoners, creates sui generis expectations of political and social evolution of the country. At the same time, it has provoked a polarization within the NGO regarding the freeing of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in the manner in which the demands are made known and turned into reality, some believe negotiations should be accepted, and others do not.
In this work, I will express my opinion, the result of constant study over long years and what I would do under the difficult circumstances to obtain the just demands.
The Catholic Church in Cuba is a historical and prestigious institution and is well loved by many people in Cuba. After the presence of Pope John Paul II in our land, by invitation of this Church, these historical and ethical realities as well as the number of faithful, has increased. Although the State administration and the Communist Party of Cuba had done everything in their power to erase or minimize the Pope’s evangelical work, they were unable to achieve this objective. The Church, working silently but steadily, has attained consolidation of its social mission and as one of the parties of extreme prestige that is able to mediate between the government and the democratic opposition to attain basic freedoms and Rule of Law in a Democratic State.
The Cuban socialist regime is based on idealogical and racial discrimination. It preaches anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism and racial prejudice against Blacks. Anyone who has some knowledge about Cuban history during the past 50 years will let you know immediately and without a doubt, that they do not trust the government of the Castro brothers one bit. I will give a few examples:
1. The Cuban government has participated in all the Latin American summits, whether it be through the direct participation of the Chiefs of State or Government or through some members of the Council of State. Agreements favoring democracy and multiple parties, States with rule of law, human rights, etc, have been signed during all of these summits. The ones that represented these the most were the summit of Viña del Mar, in 1996, and the one in Havana (IX) in 1999. During both, the declarations were signed by the highest representative of the State and Government, Fidel Castro. These agreements were never put into practice by the country’s leadership.
2. In February 2007, the government of Havana signed the International Agreements on Human Rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Nevertheless, the actual putting into practice of the agreement, the second signature, has not occurred. All of this was carried out under the leadership of General Raúl Castro.
3. The Constitution of 1976 was drafted by the Communist Party of Cuba and approved by the Castro brothers. The prediction is that this Constitution is violated systematically, continuously and flagrantly by both leaders and their helpers. We also have articles that deal with freedom of religion and worship.
Article 8. The State acknowledges, respects and guarantees religious freedom in the Republic of Cuba. There is separation between Church and State. Diverse beliefs and religions enjoy equal consideration.
Article 42. Discrimination based on race, skin color, nationality, religious beliefs or any other injury to human dignity is prohibited and sanctioned by law (…)
Article 55. The State, which acknowledges, respects and guarantees freedom of thought and religion, also acknowledges, respects and guarantees each citizen’s freedom to change religious beliefs, not to have any, and to profess, within the parameters of the law, their religious preferences (…)
· Nevertheless, in spite of these laws, the Government does not permit Churches (Religions in Cuba) to use media, specifically, T.V. and radio to communicate their spiritual message. The press is censored.
· The construction of temples is prohibited.
· Elementary schools, high schools and universities cannot be operated by religious groups.
· It is not permitted to assemble in public places, plazas or parks in order to evangelize.
· Christian, evangelical and other denominations are not permitted in jails to help inmates with their spiritual preaching.
Based on these brief but solid arguments any impartial individuals in their right mind would immediately reject the premise that the Castro regime is totalitarian. But in spite of all this, my love for and faith in the God of the Bible and in those who adhere to Judeo Christian beliefs, with the purpose of putting them into practice and doing good towards their neighbors, makes me trust my brethren, Catholic believers, and their spiritual leaders, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, and other priests fully and place myself in their hands because they fall into that category of “faith, hope and love.” By dialoguing with the government the Castro brothers, the Catholic Church of Cuba accepts its mission as mediator for the freedom of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and makes this agreement valid and opportune.
If we do not accept those who truly love us to solve our old problem of lack of liberty, we would fall into an excessive disdain that would deprive us of a resolution to our problem and even our faith.
Once we achieve the release of political prisoners in the near future, we would pray to the God of Hosts to obtain other just demands that would bring about changes toward a pluralistic democracy.
Negotiation in Nonviolent Resistance
Negotiation is a highly civilized process which tests the capacity for tolerance, intelligence and the preparation of the mediators that participate in it.
I will explain this classification in the erudite wording of Martin Luther King in his letter from Birmingham (Prison.)
(…) “You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? “Isn't negotiation a better path?"
You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored (…)
The goal of our direct action program lies in creating a situation of overwhelming crisis that it will inevitably culminate in negotiations as the solution. (See Power and Struggle, Politics of Nonviolent Action by Gene Sharpe.)
Paradigms of Nonviolent existence and Negotiations
· In the XIII Century B.C., Moses obtained instant freedom for the people of Israel. This is the civil disobedience of masses known in the history of humanity.
· In the 1920’s during the past century, Mahatma Ghandi starts an ample campaign of nonviolent resistance among them the salt strike and obtains the objective of the production of salt in the nation.
· In 1955, Martin Luther King organized and directed the bus strike in Alabama and was able to bring down the barrier of segregation on buses.
· Other examples of negotiations not related to the nonviolent struggle are also good models in which the Castro-Communist regime has had involvement.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Fidel Castro, due to his war projects and anti-Americanism, accepted missiles from the Soviet Union which brought the world to the brink of a third world war. The United States discovers the evil secret and has its navy block the Island to avoid entry of nuclear warheads. The Russian and American presidents, Nikita Kruschev and John Kennedy, excluded Castro from their negotiations and fortunately the warheads were removed from Cuba without incident and against the Island’s leader will and who then started a campaign of slander against Kruschev.
· The Civil War in Angola which lasted 15 years resulted in a lot of deaths and a ruined economy. The peace process between the armies of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) took place with the USA as mediator. There was a withdrawal of invading Cuban troops and South African troops from the National Angolan Territory and a democratic, multi-party system was established.
I have shared the last two examples so you may understand how proto-diplomacy and negotiations can be used to solve serious conflicts.
How Would I Have Negotiated the Liberation of Political Prisoners?
· I would carry out indirect negotiations by using the Church as a mediator.
· I would invite all members of my organization to an “extraordinary” meeting.
· I would listen to all opinions that are born of the debate.
· I would create internal task groups within the organization based on the deferring opinions.
· Sessions do not end until solutions have been found for the conflicts.
· If all agree, I would have a team of two or three individuals present an opinion to the mediator and have them discuss and negotiate the issue.
Points I Think Should Be Negotiated
In ten days, demand:
Ø The unconditional liberation of the 26 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience who are ill.
Ø Transfer all other political prisoners to prisons in their province of residence.
Ø Separate prisoners from other prisoners in the facility.
Ø Allow political prisoners daily telephone calls without limitation.
Ø Allow prisoners to go to the field or patio daily, between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.
Ø Authorize all political prisoners to receive visitors from family every week.
Why would I expect this to be done within ten days? I expect it due to the critical condition of our brother Fariñas who is making the same demands. All other demands could be met within 39 days.
Unconditional Liberation of All Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Conscience
The total process would take 49 days. More flexibility could be allowed with the last 39 days as long as there is extreme vigilance that all demands are met.
What Am I To Do During Times of Truce?
Increase the number of activists who march. Train them in civil disobedience: hold conferences and discussions, and view films on the topic.
Prepare the population of the place where I plan to hold direct nonviolent actions (In case demands are not met.)
Create liaisons with the various embassies.
Publish articles in the press, and have activists express their opinions through participation in radio programs
Why Should We Sit At the Negotiating Table?
Because:
· This is the essential process of civil disobedience and nonviolent civic struggle.
· Individuals who are making the same demands remain in a hunger strike which is a threat to their lives.
· Demonstrate our trust in the spiritual leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba and their lay members.
· Clearly demonstrate the civilized spirit, talent and preparation of those making demands.
· Our Nation needs the exercise of democracy, tolerance, and pragmatism starting with practicing nonviolent resistance, and even further, achieving the goal of establishing a civilized country which is stable due to the enjoyment of peace, prosperity and freedom.
According to the Larrouse dictionary of 2005, TRUCE is: Temporary suspension of confrontations between nations at war.
In figurative language: The temporary interruption of a project or activity.
Martin Luther King used this noun (See the Letter from the Birmingham prison.)
Nevertheless, the desire to continue the struggle, in spite of its violation of the intrinsic rules of nonviolent resistance, which detracts value from the fundamental principle of negotiation, could obtain through superhuman efforts the liberation of prisoners of conscience. In my opinion, they will be liberated by the government regardless of the attitude of the claimants.
The Ladies in White have the popularity, prestige and courage that guarantees success to their cause, its cost would be incalculable. Upon ending their actions, they would have to bitterly repeat the historical words of Phyrus: “One more such victory, and I am lost.”
Discussions and criticism are important but they must be guided by ethics and respect for the Judeo Christian principles of every civilized individual and must exclude calumny, personal attacks and hatred. This would enrich the national debate in favor of democracy and freedom and would consolidate us politically and ideologically in order to establish a true republic where respect for basic freedoms, tolerance, and civility are the foundation of the Nation’s life. It is a strategic error to criticize excessively those individuals who are seeking the same future for our homeland. One can descent by utilizing the ethics expected of a knowledgeable and honest person. Besides, we should all form one coalition so that future free, transparent, and multi-party elections, we can oppose the communists and their descendents with a unified voice. We must exacerbate our passions in our heart but keep them from blocking our thoughts.
Characteristics of an Activist of Nonviolent Resistance
· Prepares and studies the themes of civil disobedience.
· Responds to any type of violence.
· Endures the experience of imprisonment in a dignified manner.
· Understands that prison is the first line of combat of a peaceful resistor.
· Avoids having hatred control his mind.
· Must truly balance talent and heroic courage since exceeding to one end or the other of the scale would endanger attainment of the objective.
· Needs to know how to negotiate with the adversary.
· His conduct rests on the pillars of transparency, ethics and truth which consolidate his actions.
· Remains in his region or country until all difficulties arising from his confrontation with the adversary are resolved.
· Control his will without having to supersede knowledge.
General Castro sought the incipient solution to control the generalized malaise in Cuba and throughout in the world due to the lack of human rights in the Nation and caused by the assassination of a humanitarian activist claiming these rights, martyr Orlando Zapata Tamayo, and started a dialogue the leaders if the Catholic Church in Cuba. Through this institution Castro reached a negotiated solution with the Ladies in White to free political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. All of this is the result of his socialist regime’s strategic errors incarcerating 75 Cubans during the Black Spring of 2003.
Let’s look at the ever-present strategic errors of the imprisonment of the 75 dissidents:
· The period of the beginning of the war in Irak was used to cover up the confinement of members of the press, writers, poets and human rights and union leaders. President George W. Bush was the first to condemn these abominable actions.
· The imprisonment of all the dissidents and the execution of three Black men were condemned by Pope John Paul II.
· The repressive system with which the population is terrorized was made evident.
· The emergence of the Ladies in White, a humanitarian movement of opposition which claims the liberation of the 75 dissidents.
· The destruction of the Castro brothers’ expectations to exchange the imprisoned dissidents for the sentenced prisoners in the USA.
· The emergence of strikers, in and out of prison, who demanded respect for human rights and the liberation of political prisoners who were ill. One of these strikers died as a consequence of the many days to which he subjected himself to a hunger strike.
· The initiation of the Jornadas de ayuno (Periods of fasting) and Bible readings, under the slogan “The time for change is now.” These actions were supported by prisoners, people in the towns and cities of Cuba and throughout the world who demanded that the Castro regime respect human rights.
· The despotism and terrorism of the government was displayed during the marches of the Ladies in White to churches in the most popular neighborhoods. There where marches held in Miami, Los Angeles and New Jersey in support of the Ladies in White.
· The government came to the realization that it was more beneficial to liberate the dissidents than to obstinately persist and deal with the burden of the moral condemnation of democratic nations.
· In spite of the political, economic and social crisis, the fall of the Eastern European Communist Block, the socialist regime of the Island has not fallen. This temporary permanence is not due to its being an autonomous regime since it was not put in place by soviet troops. However, 8,000 soviet soldiers were stationed in their military bases in 2002. They also had an excessive political and economic dependency on the Soviets. Its permanence is due to:
· A totalitarian control of society whereby through a machinery of repression the State applies terrorism on its citizens.
· Massive expulsion of the population from its country. There have been various exodus, the last one being in 1994.
· The existence of an incipient and weak opposition which has grown and gained prestige and support internationally during the past 10 years.
· Democratic and free nations offer credit to and finance the dictatorship.
· A generalized corruption within the Island along with repression has depersonalized and destroyed civility among the population.
· Lack of support from democracies throughout the world such as the lack of cooperation that racist South Africa endured.
What Are the Current Difficulties Impeding a Process of Liberation for Our Nation?
· The Cuban population is generally dissatisfied but for fear of retaliation from the government, it remains frozen and its ideas do not end up becoming liberating acts.
· The State’s administrative control, resulting in lack of information, makes the citizens vulnerable. The government uses ignorance and misery as weapons to make people apathetic.
· The national authorities promote intolerance, violence and hatred, thus creating difficulty for the expansion of peaceful resistance.
· There are few dissident leaders who espouse and fully comprehend the nonviolent civic resistance.
· There are numerous oppositions and dissident organizations that coexist in contrast to the small population of the island.
· Not too many men have participated in nonviolent activities of the same nature as those carried out by the heroic Ladies in White. I am not referring to the same activities proposed by the ladies but to others that can put an end to the dictatorship.
The Lawton Foundation for Human Rights, an international humanitarian organization, which originated in Cuba, promotes life and liberty as inalienable rights of every human being, prioritizes its activities in the quest for basic human rights (freedom of speech, expression and the press; freedom of religion; the right to free assembly; the right to equal protection under the law; the right to due process; the right to a fair trial) in Cuba and promotes, along with other leaders of the Cuban dissidence the Revolution of Human Rights by using nonviolent resistance methods. Its objective is for the Castro government to sign and put into effect the International Agreement on Human, Civil, Economic, Political, Social and Cultural Rights. The ideological foundation of these leaders is based on and relies on support from one of the most prominent documents of the Twentieth Century, the Universal declaration of Human Rights, which rises to the highest level as a source of inspiration for representative democracy which has been enriched by the contributions of the neoconservative revolution that emerged in the USA and Great Britain in the past century. The Lawton Foundation seeks a transcendental transformation of life in Cuba. Its objectives are to make profound changes in the politics, economy, culture, moral values, ideology, education, military and in religious life in Cuba along with an active commitment to respect the political resistors and to seek freedom for the Cuban people.
The foundation’s first steps would be to achieve:
· The implementation of the International Agreements in Human Rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. These were signed by the Government of Cuba in February 2007. But they have not yet been put into effect.
· Unconditional liberation of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
· The establishment of a national transitional government with all political powers of the nation.
· The drafting of a provisional democratic constitution.
· To hold free, democratic and multiple party elections under true sovereignty of the population and supervised by international organisms.
· There are examples in world history of transition from a dictatorship to Rule of Law in a Democracy. We can carefully analyze the transitions in recent years such as those of Spain, Chile South Africa, the countries of Eastern Europe and similar processes in Asian, African and Latin American Nations.
Cuba, having been the last Spanish colony to gain its independence from the Spanish Empire, has a lot of citizens who are related to those on the Peninsula, General Castro being one of Spanish descent. He is quite far from having the civic attitude ethics, and love for his people shown by the most excellent and respectable King of Spain Juan Carlos I. The first thing he did when he became the head of state was to seek quick solutions to start the process of transition to democracy. Later, he ratified and complied with the Democratic Constitution of 1978. Even his son, Prince Felipe, upon reaching legal age took an oath to uphold that Law of Laws which makes his people free. Very distant from the succession of one Castro to the other, the General had begun his “term in office” with incarcerations and having the State impose terror on the people and with flagrant violations of human rights. These have all continued throughout the years he has been in power in the country, making it evident that a transition process similar to the one in Spain is far from emerging on the Island.
Chile’s case is very unique. President Augusto Pinochet, when young, never wanted power and had a affirm love for democracy. His years of governance of the nation were transitional in nature. It was a means to avoid having a totalitarian dictatorship sponsored and supported by the Castro brothers and the Soviet Union, established in his country. He never lost sight of his desire for a democracy. From the start the term limits governance to his rule as the disappearance of the causes originating the situation, and to keep his word. A transition towards democratization took place. The totalitarian Castro regime which has a profound essence of eternity and was always communist is far from comparison. The countries of Eastern Europe do have a lot in common with the Castro regime since it depended politically, ideologically and economically from the region. Nevertheless, these countries had their systems imposed on them on Soviet troops at the end of World War II. But history made an exception with the Island regarding these events. The withdrawal of imperialistic Soviet troops constituted freedom for these nations. However, this had not occurred in Cuba.
While pondering on the transition process of the South African society, I observe many similarities which could be of benefit to us. Even if the socialist Castro regime is an exact copy of Soviet Stalinism and both societies have similarities with Adolf Hitler’s Nazism, all which would be defined as totalitarian governments, Hamah Arendt, the philosopher, in her investigative essay, clearly explains that the aspects of socialist societies and racial South Africa have in common. They make idealogical and racial segregation the basis for the operation of the state. Even though there are no laws promoting racial policies in Cuba’s socialist society, just as there aren’t any limiting religious freedom, nevertheless, the black population is more humiliated and has their rights even more severed then did the population of that race in the racist South Africa of H.F. Verwoerd, B.J. Vorster y P. Botha.
The National Party and the South African Government were so discredited nationally and internationally that this had to give way due to the moderate pressures made within the party. The leaders of the party organization and the government’s administration resigned to keep the nation open up to racial equality, economic opportunities and democracy for all. This is the indispensable, the end example we need the Castro brothers to follow in order to save the country from the absolute failure in which they have submerged it during their 50 years in power.
The resignation of these leaders is essential to the establishment of a national Cuban government of transition that will support the country in becoming a democratic nation with the rule of law which will guarantee its citizens prosperity and freedom.
The dialogue between the Catholic Church in Cuba and the Castro government, although it benefits the government with an air of credibility, offers hope to a people to be able to achieve, through peaceful means, respect for human rights and the immediate establishment of basic rights for the citizens of Cuba. Of course this will turn into reality if the Church proceeds to establish similar dialogue with the democratic forces of the nation and is willing to play the role of mediator between the government and the Cuban opposition.
I must congratulate the spiritual leaders of the Church for managing to start the process of the liberation of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, and if the leadership of the nation and the government act with wisdom and urgency, a tragic outcome would be avoided in the case of Guillermo Fariñas which could bring turmoil to the nation. Likewise, I encourage the honorable and brilliant women, the Ladies in White, to continue growing through internal dialogue among all its members and towards a necessary and fair negotiation with the leadership of the Catholic Church. You are a light of hope in an enslaved Island. Likewise, we call for tolerance, pragmatism and unity among all democratic activists in the establishment of a coalition to seek human rights and a constitution for a free Cuba.
We know the dictatorial regime’s death rattles are near and that it is sending signals to the world that it wants to act nobly. But, we know that its goals are despicable because it intends to prolong its aberrant condition.
We will only accept good for good. In other words, we will maneuver correctly for the betterment of the Cuban people so they can enjoy human right and liberty. Free democratic countries and people who love freedom must be on the side of the suffering Cuban people and apply peaceful non cooperation cannot be above the human rights of a nation to the totalitarian regime of the Castro brothers, similarly to what happened to the racist South Africa. Business, in other words, cannot be above human rights.
Micah 7: 7-10:
“But I will look towards the Lord. I will wait for God, my Savior: my God will hear me.”
Combinado del Este Prison
Edificio 1, 2 Sur, Celda 1232
La Habana
Julio 12, 2010
Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet
President of the Lawton Foundation for Human Rights
International Amnesty Prisoner of Conscience
Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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