Re Julia Polanco's March 30 letter to the editor Cuba provoked?: Ms. Polanco implied that the Free Cuba Foundation was ,in part, responsible for creating the conditions in Cuba which led to the shooting of Danish student Joachim Lovschall [who on March 29, 1997 was shot to death by a Cuban soldier for allegedly crossing into a Cuban military area]. Furthermore Ms. Polanco cited her own "eerily similar" experience in Argentina in the 1970's.

During the 1970's 30,000 young Argentinians were "disappeared" [murdered] during the "dirty war" that she mentioned. Tortures and killings were widespread, and justice was completely absent. Journalists were harassed for writing articles critical of the government, and sometimes were beaten up or even killed. It took the overthrow of the military junta in the 1980's so that those activities "would not happen now" in Argentina. They still happen in Cuba. The massacre of 41 men, women, and children on July 13, 1994 is one more example. A tourist traveling in that enviroment like Ms. Polanco in Argentina in the 1970's or Joachim Lovschall in Cuba in the 1990's is risking their lives.

On March 13, 1997 we signed the FIU Declaration where we declared our "determination to work for a non-violent transition toward a democratic society under the rule of law, devoid of any vindictiveness, and equally comprising all Cubans." Joachim Lovschall was murdered by Cuban State Security because of the lack of the rule of law, and the complete lack of respect for human rights that the Cuban government has demonstrated time and time again over the past 40 years. The purpose of the Free Cuba Foundation is to ensure that state sanctioned murders of people end, and that the human rights of all be respected. We seek to stop such murders not provoke them.

Cordially,

John Suarez
Coordinator
Free Cuba Foundation
Graham Center 340
Florida International University
Miami, FL. 33199