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City of Havana, October 13, 2002
Following the information from the news, citing the interview with the
reporter Barbara Walters, in the United States' ABC station, with Mr. Fidel
Castro, which answers a question in reference to the right of the Cuban
residents that proposed Project Varela, I cite with an English translation:
- "they have the right to present a petition, but not to change the
Constitution"
Later in this interview, he also mentioned,
- "they will have their answer when it's time"
Since there is a contradiction between the conduct of the government of
Cuba, the Cuban delegation, the very repressive institutions and the words of
the President Fidel Castro, we will like to speak on our behalf:
1. The Cuban residents that represent the petition named in Project Varela
presented before the National Assembly of the Popular Power (in Spanish), know
very well their right of making a petition because its supported and mentioned
in articles 88. g and 63 of the present Constitution of Cuba. It is precisely
this right that has been violated systematically by the government, the police,
state security, and the government officials continuously. While we collected
signatures for this legal action the government has ignored the accusations and
formal petitions of the residents of Cuba (who signed the above mentioned) of
being harassed, offended , threatened, and physically hurt in acts of true
terrorism, which have increased greatly since we began collecting the signatures
(and are presently collecting). While we presented the petition to government
officials, the Committee Suretee and mobs (on May 10th) directed verbal and
physical threats of all sorts against us.
2. Besides the right of making a petition, the present Cuban Constitution
grants the rights which Project Varela asks to guaranteed in the laws. We
publicly will like to declare to Mr. Fidel Castro that Project Varela does not
ask for a change in the Constitution but for changes in the laws, so the rights
that are in the Constitution would be granted and so that the Cuban residents
would have the right to make the decision in a referendum.
3. The government of Cuba allowed ex President of the United States of
America, Jimmy Carter, the privilege of speaking publicly about Project Varela,
a right that is denied to the Cubans.
The Cuban citizens have the right to know and give their opinions about
Project Varela , that is why we demand the divulgation and discussion of it
publicly.
4. Mr. Fidel Castro has declared for the United States' citizens and for the
World, but not to the Cuban citizens, that we have the right to make a petition.
Meanwhile we are repressed for trying to make our rights be respected.
As Cuban Citizens we demand from the President of Cuba that he declare to
the Cuban citizens what he spoke about to the United States in this Interview:
compromising the Cuban authorities to the constitutional right, that he in fact
recognized, to make a petition of a Referendum of Project Varela.
Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas
Coordinator of the Committee
representing Project Varela | 
