News Bulletin. The Friends of Cuban Libraries. Oct. 11,
2001.
A September 20 poetry reading by Pablo Armando Fernandez, a controversial
Cuban author, turned into a lively debate at the Princeton (New Jersey) Public
Library. Mr. Fernandez's appearance, sponsored as part of the American Library
Association's nationwide "@ Your Library" program, was protested by a
number of individuals and organizations. Some of the protestors objected to
the event at Princeton, scheduled nine days after the attack on the World Trade
Center, because they regarded Mr. Fernandez as a spokesperson for the Cuban
government, which has been placed on the U.S. State Department's list of nations
that sponsor terrorism. [Note: the Friends of Cuban Libraries take no position
on the advisability of inviting Mr. Fernandez to speak at such a time].
Five members of the Friends of Cuban Libraries attended the program at the
Princeton Public Library with the goal of drawing attention to the repression
of independent librarians in Cuba and the role of Mr. Fernandez in the
mistreatment of dissident writers. Before the event began, the Friends
distributed among the audience copies of an "Urgent Action Appeal"
from Amnesty International on the arrest of Leonardo Bruzon Avila, one of
Cuba's independent librarians now being persecuted for offering uncensored
reading materials to their compatriots. The Amnesty appeal noted that "many
librarians have been detained, harassed and threatened with arrest if they
continue their work...." and urged the Cuban government to allow them to "carry
out their legitimate peaceful activities without interference from the
authorities."
Soon after Pablo Armando Fernandez read samples of his poetry, people in
the audience, including members of the Friends of Cuban Libraries, asked him a
series of polite but pointed questions about human rights violations in Cuba.
Among other instances of intolerance, Pablo Armando Fernandez was twice asked
to explain his role in the persecution of Maria Elena Cruz Varela, a
prize-winning poet who in 1991 organized a human rights organization called
Alternative Criteria. Following this act of dissent, she was assaulted in her
Havana apartment by a government-sponsored vigilante group. After being dragged
by her hair down several flights of stairs, Ms. Cruz Varela was taken outside of
her apartment building and again beaten in front of a cheering mob, which
included a group of schoolchildren trucked in for the occasion. She was then
forced to eat papers containing her writings before being arrested and
imprisoned; Maria Elena Cruz Varela was named a Prisoner of Conscience by
Amnesty International. The official Cuban writer's union, known as UNEAC, of
which Pablo Armando Fernandez is a prominent member, not only failed to speak
out against the mistreatment of their colleague but expelled her from its
ranks. The writers' union also organized a letterwriting campaign to denounce
Maria Elena Cruz Varela as a "counterrevolutionary."
Pablo Armando Fernandez refused to answer any questions about the case of
Maria Elena Cruz Varela and responded angrily to similar inquiries from the
Princeton audience about his role in the persecution of other Cuban authors.
After a member of the audience persisted in asking questions about human rights
violations, Mr. Fernandez exploded in anger. Shouting that he had copies of all
the e-mails criticizing his appearance at the Princeton Public Library, he
advanced toward the questioner with his hands extended, as if to seize her by
the throat. At this point he had to be physically restrained by the moderator of
the program. Following other pointed inquiries from members of the audience, the
literary event at Princeton came to a sudden halt as Mr. Fernandez abruptly sat
down, folded his arms, and shouted: "I will answer no more questions!"
Members of the public who hear about upcoming appearances by other Cuban
literary figures are encouraged to send details to the Friends of Cuban
Libraries, as we look forward to taking part in similar polite but persistent
dialogues. Please contact us at one of the addresses provided below.
BACKGROUND: The Friends of Cuban Libraries, founded in June, 1999, is
an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit support group for Cuba's independent
librarians. We oppose censorship and all other violations of intellectual
freedom, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, regardless of
whatever government may be in office in Cuba. We are funded entirely by our
members and do not seek or accept funds from other sources. For more
infomation, please send e-mail to: (rkent20551@cs.com) or telephone:
718-340-8494 (USA). Mailing address: 4-74 48th Avenue, #3-C, Long Island City,
NY 11109 USA. |
