The following is an open letter to Michel Dreyfus, vicepresident of the French Senate who recently visited Cuba. It was read from Cuba to Miami Human Rights activist Tete Machado.
City of Havana,
February 11, 1997
Senator Michell Dreyfus
Vicepresident of the Senate
Republic of France
Honorable Senator Dreyfus:
The signatories, members of the Internal Dissidence Cuban Socioeconomic Analysis Task Force, have closely followed in the official media all the details of your visit to our country. We want to express our coincidence with your statements that; it only pertain to the Cubans to decide about any sort of change.
This vow of neutrality, however, is contradictory to your expressions in the sense that; Cuba does not require at all of a transition. As you strolled along the installations that the Cuban government wanted you to see, a group of independent journalist was mobbed, only because of their objective professional standards. This so called "repulse rallies" are nothing but verbal lynching, threats of beatings, and the destruction of their homes. History repeats itself. Since 1980 the international community has witnessed in amazement this type of political harassment.
It is very probable that you have received the same explanation as the rest of the world. Allegedly, this is only the peopleis righteous indignation against "the proponents of Cubais annexation to the US." Therefore, you must know that we are not carrying out this peaceful struggle to intervene in the dispute between the governments of Cuba and the United States; but to bring a solution to the real dispute, that between an obsolete and bankrupted system and the Cuban people from which we are an indisputable part.
Lamenting our inability to having been able to deliver our thoughts personally and requesting of your kindness to make this letter available to the other members of your delegation, we express our gratitude.
Cordially,
Felix Bonne Carcaces
Rene Gomez Manzano
Bladimiro Roca Antunez
Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello
Internal Dissidence Cuban Socioeconomic Analysis Task Force
Given in Miami, February 21,
Ariel Hidalgo Tete Machado