Appeal for Release of Cuban Dissidents

Letter to Dagoberto Rodriguez, Chief, Cuban Interests Section

April 4, 2003

Dagoberto Rodriguez
Chief, Cuban Interests Section
Embassy of Switzerland
2630 16th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009

Dear Mr. Rodriguez,

We write to express our profound concern at the arrest of more than 70 Cuban citizens in recent days, and to urge their immediate release.

We are Americans who promote changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba because we believe that greater contact between our societies will both help resolve current issues and prepare the way for improved relations in the future. We will continue that work based on our view that it serves the interests of both our peoples.

In the course of our work many of us have met many of the Cubans who have been arrested for advocating ideas that do not coincide with those of your government. We fail to understand how these ideas can constitute a threat to Cuba’s security. To the contrary, we can only believe that a strong competition of ideas will help Cubans to chart their future.

We know that Cuba has expressed serious grievances regarding the conduct of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. We believe these grievances should be resolved between the governments, using the channels of communication and the tools available to them.

We therefore add our voices to the many others who call for the liberation of all those Cubans who have recently been imprisoned for their political activism.

Sincerely,

Mavis Anderson, Senior Associate, Latin America Working Group
Bernard W. Aronson, Chairman, Acon Investments
Alberto R. Coll, Senior Fellow, Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy
Jim Courter, Chairman, Lexington Institute
Heather Foote, Director, Washington Office, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Lisa Haugaard, Director, Latin America Working Group
Anya Landau, Associate, Center for International Policy
Philip Peters, Vice President, Lexington Institute
Wayne S. Smith, Senior Fellow, Center for International Policy
Sarah Stephens, Freedom to Travel project, Center for International Policy