April 23, 2003

QUITO - In an open letter to the government of Cuba, he Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) Board of Directors expressed concern about the use of force and repression against those who politically oppose the Fidel Castro regime.

The document, disseminated Tuesday, said that CLAI "feels legitimately satisfied for raising the flag of human rights where these rights have been violated, both within and outside of Latin America."

"This position is coherent with the values that we consider essential in the Biblical message: dignity, solidarity, mercy and our conviction that human beings are made in the image and likeness of God," it added.

"We are profoundly concerned that in recent times governments and power groups are turning to hegemonic and unilateral force to impose their will, breaking international law," it said.

"The war against Iraq, economic adjustment policies imposed on our people, repression against political opponents, acts of terrorism, are examples of a growing violence that is imposed in relations between groups of people and between nations," it said.

"The use of force is not a sign of strength, but of weakness and turning to force frequently expresses an inability to dialogue and use reason," the document stated.

"We are concerned about the force and repression used in recent weeks by the Government of Cuba against those who politically oppose them, including extremely high sentences and death by firing squad, after a summary judicial trial, imposed on three people who hijacked a plane," said the Latin American ecumenical body.

"We know that the people of Cuba have been the victims of terrorist acts, some particularly repugnant such as placing a bomb in a commercial flight, and that many of those responsible continue to enjoy impunity given the illegal and arbitrary protection they have found in countries on the continent."

"We also know that illegal emigration and its tragic consequences in the loss of innumerable human lives as well as the generation of illegal acts such as hijacking planes and ships, is the result of a migratory policy implemented by successive US administrations."

"We recognize that the inclusion of Cuba among countries that constitute the so-called "axis of evil," the continuation of the unjust economic blockade that has been declared illegal by the United Nations provokes a natural defense mechanism," it added.

It added that,"provocative action on the part of foreign diplomats on their soil are factors that contribute to creating a climate of harassment."

"However, we do not believe or accept that this justifies the use of excessive force against people who peacefully protest or the violation of the human rights of their citizens. For this reason we call on the Government of Cuba to respect universally sanctioned human rights," the letter states.

Cuba "has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but there is a need to distinguish between national security and the right to dissent."

It stated that the right to freedom of opinion and expression, to investigate and receive information and to disseminate it, by any means of expressions as well as the right to hold and freely manifest different opinions are rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international bodies, of which the government of Cuba is a signatory.

Finally, CLAI declared that it holds Cuban prisoners and their families in its prayers, the Government of Cuba so that the wisdom of God inspires and guides its actions, groups of opposition members inside and outside of the country so that, in a framework of strict respect for legality, they seek dialogue.

ALC News Service (Agencia Latinoamericana y Caribeqa de Comunicacisn)