Payá's answer to Fidel Castro

FOR FREEDOM & JUSTICE GROUP ^ | October 20, 2002 | Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas

[CHACHI]

Payá's answer to Fidel Castro By Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, Coordinator Comité Ciudadano Gestor del Proyecto Varela. Havana, 13th of October of 2002

(TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH BY RCB)

According to information by the press, in an interview with journalist Barbara Walters of the ABC network in the U.S., Mr. Fidel Castro responding to her question on the right of the citizens to propose the Varela Project, declared:

"Yes, they have the right to present a request, but not to change the Constitution"

Fidel Castro also declared on the interview: "they will have their answer in due time"

Due to the contradiction between the conduct of the government of Cuba, the repressive Deputies, and institutions with these declarations by Fidel, we declared the following:

1. The Cuban citizens who presented the request for a Referendum before the National Assembly of the Popular Power, know very well of the right to make this request since it is expressed in articles 88.g and 63 of the Constitution in Cuba, currently in effect. This right has been violated systematically by their deputies, the government, the police, the courts, the State Security. While we were collecting the signatures for this legal process, they ignored the requests and formal denunciations by citizens; they have harassed, persecuted, slandered, threatened, and in actual acts of terrorism, even struck the petition signers and the ones collecting the signatures. This terrorist repression has increased, since we continue collecting signatures, in the form of threats and other types of retaliation by the State Security against the citizens that presented the petition the 10th of May.

2. In addition to the right to make the petition, the Constitution currently in effect in Cuba, enunciates the rights from which the Project Varela requests guarantees in the laws. We publicly make clear to Mr. Fidel Castro that the Varela Project does not request a change in the Constitution, that instead; expect the fulfillment of the laws and rights that are in the Constitution so that the decision will be made by the sovereign people consulted in a Referendum.

3. The government of Cuba granted the ex-president of the United States Jimmy Carter the privilege to publicly speak about the Varela Project, something that is denied to us Cubans as a right. The Cuban citizens have the right to form opinions about the law project known as the Varela Project, and for which we demand its exposure and public discussions.

4. Mr. Fidel Castro has declared to the North Americans and the world that we have the right to make this request, but not he does not say the same to the Cuban people, instead we are being repressed for trying to exercise this right.

As Cuban citizens we demand of Castro as Head of State in Cuba, to declare to the Cuban people what he declared to the people of the United States, and to commit himself to honor the constitutional right, which he recognizes, to realize the petition of the Varela Project Referendum.

Oswaldo José Paya Sardinas, Coordinator Comité Ciudadano Gestor del Proyecto Varela

[CHACHI]

It would be incomprehensible to watch a reporter fall in love with Hitler, and yet Barbara Walters looks of tenderness towards the Hitler of the Caribbean are too much for any stomach to bear. Ms Walters received 25 years ago a present from Castro. It was an expensive and stolen antique table. THAT IS WHAT COMMUNISTS DO BEST: STEAL GOODS, STEAL FREEDOM, STEAL THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.