The Patriotic Union of Cuba gives a warm welcome to President Barack Obama to the largest of the Antilles.
The Patriotic Union of Cuba, UNPACU, welcomes the news of the visit of U.S. President Barack Obama to Cuba. On behalf of our organization and thousands of supporters of our cause in favor of the democratization of our country and respect for the rights of our people, we give him the warmest welcome.
The Cuban people respect and admire the U.S. people and government. Decades of anti-American campaigns by the totalitarian regime of Fidel and Raul Castro have not achieved the aim intended by their promoters.
UNPACU, as the people in general, to which we belong and for which we struggle, is waiting for the President of the great nation at the forefront in the defense of democracy and human rights to show SOLIDARITY. SOLIDARITY with political prisoners, SOLIDARITY with the exploited and oppressed people, SOLIDARITY with Cuban democrats, viciously persecuted by the dictatorship.
The distinguished visitor will find Cuba plunged in abject poverty because of the Soviet-type economic model that for decades has been imposed and the unwillingness by the regime to engage in genuine economic reform that will allow the material reconstruction and welfare of our people.
Barack Obama will visit a nation where for more than six decades free elections have not been held. The ruling regime flagrantly violates fundamental rights and freedoms and increases repression against organizations seeking a peaceful transition to democracy and the necessary reconciliation among Cubans.
Even today the Castro regime raided a home in Buenaventura, Calixto Garcia, Holguin, with intent to deprive a civic group associated with UNPACU of a laptop and a printer. From 22 November 2015 to date, twenty five homes of members and supporters of our organization have been raided. We can rightfully call assaults to these actions aimed at depriving us of our limited means of labor and prevent peaceful assembly.
Hundreds of activists continue to be arrested every week, including beatings and other repressive actions against those who participate in the Campaign “We All March”. The regime suppresses activities ranging from children’s parties to public talks on the “A Different 2018” Project. Other sectors of the population, as in the case of the self-employed, are victims of constant harassment.
Amid such an unfortunate reality, our organization -along with others of the Independent Civil Society- continues its efforts to make Cuba a free, sovereign, democratic, fair and prosperous nation; friendly to the US, to the entire continent and to the West. A democratic Cuba would never have among her friends regimes like North Korea and others that threaten world peace.
It is the responsibility of all Cubans to conquer our rights and freedoms, but the solidarity of the free world is of the essence. So we thank you in advance for the words and gestures of solidarity from President Barack Obama, which will not be missing during his visit to our country.
From the beginning UNPACU greeted as very positive the resumption of relations between the U.S. democratic government and Cuba’s one-party regime. We believe that does not mean in the least endorsing the violations of human rights by Cuba’s one-party regime, which by its own nature attacks any dissenting expression of discontent irrespective of the policies of other countries to the largest of the Antilles.
We reiterate our warmest welcome to Mr. Barack Obama.
Coordinating Council of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, UNPACU.
February 18, 2016
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