The Declaration of El Roque

The eleven men shown in the photograph below (along with Jose Daniel Ferrer who could not be present at the time) are the prisoners of the Black Spring which remained in the island and continue fighting for freedom.  Together, last week they drafted “The Declaration of El Roque” (named after the location where the meeting took place- El Roque, Matanzas).  The document makes multiple demands on the Cuban totalitarian regime.

(Thanks to Uncommon Sense and Pablo Pacheco for the photo)

(From left to right) Oscar Biscet, Ángel Moya, Guido Sigler, Héctor Maseda, Diosdado González, Eduardo Díaz,  Félix Navarro, Arnaldo Ramos, Librado Linares, Pedro Arguelles and Iván Hernández.

DECLARATION OF EL ROQUE

El Roque, Perico, Matanzas, Saturday June 4th 2011

Document of Demands on the Cuban Governmet

Given the extreme centralization of power and decisions which exist in our country, we hold accountable the Cuban President and Military General, Raul Castro, that he must comply with the following three demands:

1st- That an International Multidisciplinary Unit be allowed to immediately examine and exhume the body of the non-violent activist Juan Wilfredo Soto Garcia so that they could impartially publicize the true cause of his death.

2nd- That the death of Sajarov Award recipient and peaceful dissident, Guillermo Farinas, as product of his hunger strike, be prevented by all means.

3rd- That all forms of repression, beatings, mob attacks, and other cruel, degrading, and inhumane acts against peaceful and pro-democratic activists and the rest of Cuban society immediately cease.

Awaiting a proper response, the following signatories support this document,

Pedro Argüelles Morán, Eduardo Díaz Fleitas, Iván Hernández Carrillo, Librado Linares García, Angel J. Moya Acosta, Guido Sigler Amaya, Dr. Oscar Elías Biscet, Diosdado González Marrero, Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, Héctor F. Maseda Gutiérrez, Félix Navarro Rodríguez and José Daniel Ferrer García.

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Those are the words of 12 men, out of so many others, who fight for justice, democracy, and freedom for Cuba.  And although Guillermo Farinas has canceled his hunger strike, I am sure that the second demand of “El Roque” is still equally important, seeing as his health is still weak and the dictatorship continues denying him, and all Cubans, the right to express themselves freely, leaving only options like hunger strikes as the only way to achieve just and peaceful objectives.