Full content of the open letter delivered today, February 18, 2019, in Miami, Florida, United States:
February 18, 2019
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington D.C.
Dear Mr. President,
First and foremost, we want to thank you for your unwavering support of freedom and democracy for the Cuban people. For the past 60 years our nation has lived under a veil of darkness at the hands of a brutal dictatorship that through fear and repression suffocates its citizens. On February 24th, the hand-chosen Castro successor Miguel Diaz Canel will present under the guise of “elections” an image that the Cuban people are voting on a “referendum” to the Constitution. To quell the efforts of those that peacefully and legally promote the “NO” vote, the regime has alarmingly increased the repression against them.
The Patriotic Union of Cuba in particular has been the target of this repression. We have seen during the last week heavily armed forces of the Ministry of Interior violently raid fourteen homes of its members, knocking down doors and barging in while families are sleeping. Children, elderly and pregnant women have been dragged out of bed, minors stripped naked and searched and countless items stolen including medicine, food and personal effects. Actions that without a doubt qualify as state terrorism.
Since February 11th, the regime’s repressive forces have permanently surrounded the organization’s headquarters and have arrested those that attempt to enter or exit. For example, a 16-year-old has been beaten and detained as he left the headquarters in search of food for his 23-month-old niece since food items were stolen during the raid. Although repression has been occurring with unusual fury in the last few days, actually since our campaign for the “NO” to the Constitution began, the regime has increased its attacks against us.
The 79 undersigned members of the Patriotic Union of Cuba are on a hunger strike and respectfully ask that you join us in denouncing the fraud of the illegitimate Constitution. We will continue to promote the citizen vote for a NO to a constitution that violates the most basic democratic norms and intends to legitimize the system of oppression established in Cuba for 60 years. On February 24th, we invite the Free World to join this call and make it clear to neo-Castroism that its system of government is not acceptable in the 21st century.
NO to an illegitimate Constitution and a regime that violates the rights of its people!
Respectfully,
- José Daniel Ferrer García
- Carlos Amel Oliva Torres
- Tomás Núñez Magdariaga
- Aníbal Reveáis Figueredo
- Alexis Rodríguez Chacón
- Ebert Hidalgo Cruz
- Roberto Almaguer González
- Fernando González Vaillant
- Niuvis Bicet Romero
- Iam Gamez Gell
- Roilan Zarraga Ferrer
- Sandy Ramírez Águila
- Arianna Ávila Gilart
- Yordanys Labrada Téllez
- Manuel Mustelier Tamayo
- José Bell Gracial
- Santiago Echevarría William
- Jorge de la Torre Montesino
- Soilan Hung Fernández
- Abel Peña Carcajal
- José Antonio López Piña
- Juan Giraldo Peña Sánchez
- Luis Enrique Peña Carcajal
- Eliécer Gongora Izaguirre
- Ricardo Jiménez Sánchez
- José Castillo Ríos
- Ricardo Torres Hernández
- Eliecer Cruz Tamayo
- Adrián Quesada Flores
- Ángel Hinojosa Castellano
- Leyanis Heredia Salazar
- Wilder Cervantes Cusa
- Fernando Isael Peña Tamayo
- Yordankis Salgado Días
- Adriana Portuondo Yero
- María Cala Aguilera
- Maidolis Oribe Perdono
- Moraima Díaz Pérez
- Yidel Suárez Saiz
- Adrián Ochoa Portales
- Rubén Torres Saiz
- Leonardo Pérez Gracet
- Dainieris Moya García
- Isidro de Dios
- Bartolo Cantillo Romero
- Leoncio Rodríguez Ponce
- Isael Aleaga Pérez
- Oris Leyva Ramírez
- Cristian Pérez Carmenate
- Daniel Enrique Quesada Chaveco
- Elber Pérez Pérez
- Lorenzo Curbelo Céspedes
- Ilda Reyes Almaguer
- Yessica Miranda Miquel
- Katherine Mojena Hernández
- Evert Luis Hidalgo Ladrón de Guevara
- Yoandri Matos Guindo
- Zaqueo Báez Guerrero
- Manuel Arias Columna
- Alexis Pérez Lescayes
- Edgardo Goile Fonseca
- Wilson Quintero Cabrera
- Carlos Miguel López Santos
- Cosme Damián Domínguez Peñalver
- Roberto Cedeño Rojas
- Manuel de Jesús Guillén Espulgas
- Boris Agustín Osorio Ramos
- Geordanis Muñoz Guerrero
- Yenisey Jiménez Reyna
- Ernesto Oliva Torres
- Miraida Martín Calderín
- Yeridian Álvarez Martínez
- Niurvis Cruz Pérez
- Miguel Ernesto Pérez Parra
- Ovidio Martín Castellanos
- Yulisney Richard Viel
- Arelis Rodríguez Chacón
- Yordanis Manuel Martínez Lemus
- Yordanis Chávez Roll
- Other 10 activists have been added since last 3 hours accounting to 89 in total
