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Agreement for Democracy
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

With the Directorio as one of its sponsors, on February 20, 1998, the “Agreement for Democracy” was ratified in Miami by organizations in exile and in Cuba to establish that despite geographical separation, Cubans are united for the country’s future democracy. At the time, twenty-seven organizations in Cuba and 47 in exile signed the document. More groups have since joined in signing the agreement.

Agreement for Democracy

We recognize as the fundamental principle of the new Republic that Cuba is one and independent, whose sovereignty resides in the people and functions through the effective exercise of representative multiparty democracy, which is the government of the majority with absolute respect for the minority.
All governments must respect the sovereignty of the people. Therefore, at the end of the current tyrannical regime, the provisional or transition government shall be obligated to return sovereignty to the people by way of the following measures:

Guarantee the people’s participation in the decisions of the nation through the exercise of universal, direct, and secret voting to elect its representatives, and the right to seek public office.
Immediately issue a general amnesty for the liberation of all political prisoners, including those who have been sentenced for fictitious common crimes, and cancel the pending political causes against Cubans in exile, so as to facilitate their return to the homeland and their reintegration into the national society.
Organize an independent, impartial and professional judiciary.
Recognize and protect the freedom of expression, the press, association, assembly, peaceful demonstration, profession, and religion.
Protect the Cuban people from arbitrary expulsion from their homes as well as against all forms of detention, search, confiscation or arbitrary aggression, and from violation of their correspondence, documents and other communications, and defend all Cubans’ right to privacy and honor.
Immediately legalize all political parties and other organizations and activities of civil society.
Refer to the Constitution of 1940, when applicable, during the transition period and convoke free elections with the supervision of international organizations within a time period not greater than one year, for a Constituent Congress which will establish a Constitution and which, during its existence, shall have authority to legislate as well as to oversee the executive. Having thus achieved democratic legitimacy, it shall call general elections in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Recognize and protect the freedom of economic activity; the right to private property; the right to unionize, to bargain collectively and to strike; the Cuban people’s right to genuine participation in their economic development; access to public health and education, and initiate the reestablishment of civic values in education.
Take immediate steps to protect Cuba’s environmental security and protect and rescue the national patrimony.
Propitiate and guarantee the professionalism and political neutrality of the Armed Forces and create forces of public order whose rules of conduct shall adjust to the principles of this Agreement.

Cuba shall resurrect from its own ashes, but it is the sacred obligation of all Cubans -- both within the oppressed island and in the diaspora -- to place our hands on the plough without looking backwards but rather into the deepest part of our hearts, to convert those ashes into fertile seeds of love and creation. Now, as 100 years ago, our national aspiration remains the construction of a Republic based on the formula of triumphant love:

With All and for the Good of All

Signatory organizations of the Agreement
in Exile:
Acción Cívica Cubana. José Luis Pujol
Acción Democrática Cubana. Juan Carlos Acosta
Agenda:Cuba. Pedro L. Solares
Alianza Cubana. José Pérez Linares
Alianza de Jóvenes Cubanos. Ana M. Carbonell
Asociación Medioambientalista Cubana. Néstor Penedo/Andrés Solares
Asociación Nacional de Ganaderos de Cuba. Henry Rose
Asociación Integral Mambisa. Pedro Luis Ferro
Asociación Democrática de Profesionales del Servicio Exterior.
José R. Huerta
Coordinadora Internacional de Ex Prisioneros Políticos Cubanos. Guillermo Rivas-Porta
Coordinadora Social Demócrata. Dr. Lino B. Fernández
Comité Cubano Pro Derechos Humanos. Dr. Ricardo Bofill
Confederación Campesina de Cuba. José M. Pou Socarrás
Cruzada Cubana. Gerardo González Fundora
Cuban American Veterans Association. Andrés García
Cuba Democratique. Lázaro Jordana
Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID). Húber Matos
Directorio Revolucionario Democrático Cubano.
Juan Fernández de Castro y Orlando Gutiérrez
Ex-Club (Asoc. de Ex Prisioneros y Combatientes Políticos Cubanos) Rolando Borges
Ex-Confinados Políticos de la UMAP. Francisco García
Federación Sindical de Plantas Eléctricas, Gas y Agua en el Exilio.
René L. Díaz
Free Cuba Foundation. John Suárez
Frente Nacional del Presidio Político Cubano. Rufino Alvarez
Grupo de Apoyo a la Disidencia. Frank Hernández Trujillo
Grupo de Trabajo de la Disidencia Interna. Ruth C. Montaner
Hermanos al Rescate. José Basulto
Liga Cívica Martiana. Miguel Angel Aldana
M.A.R. por Cuba. Sylvia G. Iriondo
Morris County Cuban Association. Rolando Ríos
Movimiento Democracia. Ramón Saúl Sánchez
Municipios de Cuba en el Exilio. Roberto Pereda
Movimiento Revolucionario 30 de Noviembre Frank País.
Israel Abreu Villareal
Movimiento Humanista Evolucionario Cubano. Ricardo H. Trelles
Mujer Cubana. Estela Rose
Mujeres Luchadoras por la Democracia. María Márquez
Movimiento Luchadores por la Libertad y la Independencia de Cuba
Alfredo Mustelier Nuevo / Carmen Julia Arias Iglesias
Organizaciones Cubanas Unidas de la Zona Norte (OCU)
Rigoberto Peguero
Partido Independentista Cubano. Alberto Martínez Echenique
Partido Acción Nacionalista. Sergio Ramos
Partido Cubano de Renovación Ortodoxa. Diosmel Rodríguez
(Representación en el Exterior) Partido Social Demócrata Cubano
Tony Santiago
Presidio Político Histórico Cubano - Casa del Preso
Luis González Infante
Puente de Jóvenes Profesionales Cubanos. Dr. Nicolás Gutiérrez, Hijo
La Rosa Blanca. Dr. Rafael Díaz Balart
Unión de Ex Presos Políticos Cubanos. Jorge Dulzaides
Unión Liberal Cubana. Carlos Alberto Montaner
Unión de Soldados y Oficiales Libres. Alvaro Prendes

Signatory organizations of the Agreement in Cuba:
Agencia de Prensa Sindical Independiente de Cuba.
Carmelo Díaz Fernández
Comité Cubano de Opositores Pacíficos.
Vicky Ruiz Labrit
Comité Cubano Pro Derechos Humanos. Gustavo Arcos Bergnes
Comisión Nacional Cubano de Ayuda Humanitaria y Religiosa a Prisiones
Antonio Díaz Quintanar
Comisión Cubana de Derechos Humanos José Martí
en la República de Cuba. Prof. Amador Blanco Hernández
Consejo Nacional por los Derechos Civiles en Cuba
Jorge Omar Lorenzo Pimienta
Pedro Herrada Delgado
Consejo Unitario de Trabajadores Cubanos.
Pedro Pablo Alvarez Ramos
Corriente Liberal Cubana
Celia Jorge Ruiz
Grupo de Trabajo de la Disidencia Interna
Jesús Yánez Pelletier Vocero de:
Félix A. Bonne Carcassés
René Gómez Manzano
Vladimiro Roca Antúnez
Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello
Hermandad Cívica Cubana
Alejandro Chang Cantillo
Instituto Cubano de Estudios Sindicales.
Vicente Escobal Rabeiro
Liga Cívica Martiana.
William Ernesto Herrera Díaz
Movimiento Acción Democrática.
Luis R. Hernández Rodríguez
Movimiento Cubano Reflexión.
Librado Linares García
Movimiento Cristiano Amor y Paz.
Lázaro Rodríguez Torres
Movimiento Cubano de Jóvenes por la Democracia.
Heriberto Leyva Rodríguez
Movimiento 24 de Febrero.
Mario Remedio De Los Cueto
Movimiento Nacional de Resistencia Cívica Pedro Luis Boitel.
Berta Antúnez Pernet
Movimiento Opción Alternativa.
Angel Moya Acosta
Movimiento por la Democracia Pedro Luis Boitel.
Iván Hernández Carrillo
Movimiento Pro Derechos Humanos del Golfo de Guacanayabo.
Marta Leyva López Chávez
Organización Feminista Independiente.
Cecilia Zamora Cabrera
Partido Acción Nacionalista. Aguileo Cancio Chong
Partido Cubano de Renovación Ortodoxa
Antonio Alonso Pérez
Partido Democrático 30 de Noviembre Frank País.
Rafael Ibarra Roque
Partido Paz, Amor y Libertad
Diosdado González Marrero
Partido Pro Derechos Humanos Afiliado a la Fundación Andrei Sajarov
Israel Feliciano. Delegación de Villa Clara
Proyecto de Bibliotecas Independientes
Berta Mexidor Vázquez / Ramón Humberto Colás Castillo
Proyecto Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia
José Gabriel Ramón Castillo
Unión Nacional de Ex Presos Políticos Cubanos
Omar Pernet Hernández. Delegación de Villa Clara
Unión Nacional de Opositores. Dr. Frank Fernández Loveira