Cubans Demand Major Changes in the System

In Geneva last month, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights censured the authorities of Cuba for human rights violations.

This is not unusual. In the past 10 years, the government of my country has been censured nine times in the same forum. The exception was 1998, the year the pope visited Cuba.

Nor is it unfair. The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation has information about more than 250 political prisoners in Cuba, and the government does not respect such543318387Leyva, a lawyer and activist from the town of Cego de Avila, is blind, and yet State Security officials have mistreated him four times this year, most recently two weeks ago by punching him in the liver--blows that were very dangerous but left no visible marks.

Unfortunately, censuring a regime that does not respect human rights, even by an international body, is by itself insufficient.

What is needed in Cuba is a thorough change of political system, initiated and carried out by the Cubans themselves. For the first time in 42 years we, the citizens of Cuba, are demanding t1864397921for independence who “taught the Cubans to think,” as we say here.

Such a procedure is foreseen in the Cuban Constitution: If at least 10,000 voters sign such a demand, the National Assembly must consider it.

Here in Cuba there is only one party, the Communist Party. The media express only the Communist Party’s views. The only trade union is directed by the Communist Party. The Varela Project re1717924453 * The project proposes that the laws change and give us the freedom of expression and association, a multiparty system, free press, free trade unions and other freedoms that are obvious in a543450477 * The project asks that all political prisoners--many of them serving heavy sentences for having tried to exercise freedom of opinion--be freed.

* Here in Cuba, private enterprise is a privilege reserved for foreigners. The project proposes to change the laws so that Cubans could own and run private businesses.

* Current election law provides for one candidate per seat in parliament, proposed by organizations controlled by the Communist Party. A new electoral law that the project demands would gua1918987892 * The project also asks for free elections to be held a year after the approval of the referendum.

Imagine the logistics difficulties of gathering signatures in a country without public-access photocopy machines; where you cannot buy a train ticket without a national ID, or a piece of br1700881440 Fortunately, the Varela Project has got the support of Todos Unidos (All United) a grouping of more than 100 independent organizations--which the government, of course, considers illegal--s1969448992 In the past month, thanks to the activists of Todos Unidos , thousands of petition forms with the Varela Project demands are circulating throughout the island. For security reasons, the forms are passed among only family, friends, neighbors and some religious communities.

It is to be expected that the Cuban authorities will do all they can to avoid the referendum. But even if our movement is not wholly successful, it is worth the effort because it is uniting543256164