open letter from UNPACU to Donald Trump

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 24^th, 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 11^th, 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 24^th, 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,

1. José Daniel Ferrer García
2. Carlos Amel Oliva Torres
3. Tomás Núñez Magdariaga
4. Aníbal Reveáis Figueredo
5. Alexis Rodríguez Chacón
6. Ebert Hidalgo Cruz
7. Roberto Almaguer González
8. Fernando González Vaillant
9. Niuvis Bicet Romero
10. Iam Gamez Gell
11. Roilan Zarraga Ferrer
12. Sandy Ramírez Águila
13. Arianna Ávila Gilart
14. Yordanys Labrada Téllez
15. Manuel Mustelier Tamayo
16. José Bell Gracial
17. Santiago Echevarría William
18. Jorge de la Torre Montesino
19. Soilan Hung Fernández
20. Abel Peña Carcajal
21. José Antonio López Piña
22. Juan Giraldo Peña Sánchez
23. Luis Enrique Peña Carcajal
24. Eliécer Gongora Izaguirre
25. Ricardo Jiménez Sánchez
26. José Castillo Ríos
27. Ricardo Torres Hernández
28. Eliecer Cruz Tamayo
29. Adrián Quesada Flores
30. Ángel Hinojosa Castellano
31. Leyanis Heredia Salazar
32. Wilder Cervantes Cusa
33. Fernando Isael Peña Tamayo
34. Yordankis Salgado Días
35. Adriana Portuondo Yero
36. María Cala Aguilera
37. Maidolis Oribe Perdono
38. Moraima Díaz Pérez
39. Yidel Suárez Saiz
40. Adrián Ochoa Portales
41. Rubén Torres Saiz
42. Leonardo Pérez Gracet
43. Dainieris Moya García
44. Isidro de Dios
45. Bartolo Cantillo Romero
46. Leoncio Rodríguez Ponce
47. Isael Aleaga Pérez
48. Oris Leyva Ramírez
49. Cristian Pérez Carmenate
50. Daniel Enrique Quesada Chaveco
51. Elber Pérez Pérez
52. Lorenzo Curbelo Céspedes
53. Ilda Reyes Almaguer
54. Yessica Miranda Miquel
55. Katherine Mojena Hernández
56. Evert Luis Hidalgo Ladrón de Guevara
57. Yoandri Matos Guindo
58. Zaqueo Báez Guerrero
59. Manuel Arias Columna
60. Alexis Pérez Lescayes
61. Edgardo Goile Fonseca
62. Wilson Quintero Cabrera
63. Carlos Miguel López Santos
64. Cosme Damián Domínguez Peñalver
65. Roberto Cedeño Rojas
66. Manuel de Jesús Guillén Espulgas
67. Boris Agustín Osorio Ramos
68. Geordanis Muñoz Guerrero
69. Yenisey Jiménez Reyna
70. Ernesto Oliva Torres
71. Miraida Martín Calderín
72. Yeridian Álvarez Martínez
73. Niurvis Cruz Pérez
74. Miguel Ernesto Pérez Parra
75. Ovidio Martín Castellanos
76. Yulisney Richard Viel
77. Arelis Rodríguez Chacón
78. Yordanis Manuel Martínez Lemus
79. Yordanis Chávez Roll
80. Other 10 activists have been added since last 3 hours accounting to 89 in total