Victims of Repression in Cuba Call for Answers from Costa Rican President Oscar Arias

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Victims of Repression in Cuba Call for Answers from Costa Rican President Oscar Arias
By Assembly of the Resistance

San José, Costa Rica. Assembly of the Resistance. May 14, 2009. A delegation of Cuban exiles visitng Costa Rica at the invitation of local lawmakers for the purpose of addressing human rights violations in Cuba publicly questioned Costa Rican President Oscar Arias alter political maneuvers at the Legislative Assembly blocked the conference from happening.

The delegation, composed of members of pro-democracy organizations that support the Non Cooperation with the Dictatorship Campaign launched by human rights activists in Cuba, nevertheless condemned systematic human rights violations in Cuba during a press conference at the Radisson Hotel in San José this morning.

In an open letter to President Arias released during that conference, the delegation questioned his decision to reestablish relations with the longest-lived dictatorship of the Americas at a time when repression in Cuba is increasing. The letter also questioned how a democratic country like Costa Rica could turn its back on the victims of political repression in Cuba and prevent them from speaking in the chambers of the Legislative Assembly.

The conference was scheduled to be celebrated at the the “Beneméritos de la Patria” and the ”Expresidentes de la República” chambers (ceremonial chambers in Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly) yesterday, having obtained the approval and permission of the relevant authorities until Congressional Administration changed the decision at the last minute, putting it to a vote.

The vote ended with 31 votes against the permit that had already been issued and 7 votes in favor of holding the event at the predetermined chambers.

Costa Rican Deputy Manuel Echandi, one of 7 legislators who defended the Cuban Resistance’s right to free expression on the floor of the Legislative Assembly was present at the press conference. Also present was the Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Costa Rica Milan Jakobec.

Below is the full text of the open letter from the Assembly of the Resistance delegation to Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.

May 14, 2009

We, members of the Cuban Resistance, in opposition to the dictatorial Havana Regime, former political prisoners, and human rights activists present in this city of San José, Costa Rica, to condemn human rights violations and Cuba, who were prevented from holding a conference in the Legislative Assembly of this country, ask the following public questions of Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Osar Arias:

1- Why is a democratic country like Costa Rica turning its back on the victims of political repression in Cuba and preventing them from speaking in the chambers of the Legislative Assembly under your leadership?

2- Why, when repression has increased in Cuba during the last months, and the sixth anniversary of the unjust imprisonment of human rights activists and independent journalists in Cuba was marked this past March 18^th, did you decide to reestablish diplomatic relations with the longest-lived dictatorship in Latin America?

3- Why, after the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with the Castro dictatorship, did you withdraw Costa Rica’s candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council in order to yield the berth to the reelection of Cuba, a regime which violates the human rights of its people?

President Arias, in your recent speech during the Summit of the Americas, you noted that we Latin American countries “did something wrong,” and, sincerely something continues to be done wrong, such as what was just allowed to happen in this country yesterday. How is it possible for a democratic country to accept that the 50 year long dictatorship of the Castro interfere in the internal decisions of Costa Rica, and for it to be allowed for the victim’s of that dictatorship’s repression not be allowed to speak in the chambers of the Legislative Assembly, for which they had previously been granted permission?

We Latin Americans did something wrong, and something is still wrong in this region when readmitting the Castro dictatorship, infringing upon articles 1, 2, and 7 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, is being discussed. Something is going wrong, President Arias, when the principles of democracy and freedom are ignored for the sake of petty interests.

We call upon you to answer these questions before your people, who elected you democratically, and before us, who have suffered imprisonment, repression, and ostracism in our country for defending freedom.

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