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Prominent U.S.
and Latin American journalists call for
release of imprisoned Cuban journalist
Committee
to Protect Journalists,
March 17, 2004.
New York, March 16, 2004-The Committee
to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today sent
more than 600 appeals-including more than
50 from some of the most renowned journalists
in Latin America-to Cuban President Fidel
Castro Ruz calling for the release of jailed
Cuban journalist Manuel Vázquez Portal,
a recipient of CPJ's 2003 International
Press Freedom Award, and the other 28 imprisoned
Cuban journalists.
The petitions were sent by courier to the
Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C.
Because the United States and Cuba have
no diplomatic relations, the Cuban Interests
Section carries out consular duties.
Also today, CPJ launched a special link
on its Web site titled "Libertad para
Vázquez Portal." Visitors who
click on the link are invited to add their
names to the petition.
Vázquez Portal, a journalist with
the independent news agency Grupo de Trabajo
Decoro, has been in jail since he was arrested
in March 2003 in a massive government crackdown
on political opposition and the independent
press. A total of 29 journalists are currently
imprisoned in jails across Cuba, which now
ranks as one of the world's leading jailers
of journalists, second only to China.
In recognition of the efforts by Cuban
independent journalists to disseminate news
in a climate of harsh government repression,
CPJ honored Vázquez Portal with one
of its International Press Freedom Awards
in November 2003. Since he was in jail,
however, he was unable to attend the awards
dinner on November 25. The guests in attendance
signed the petitions, which call on President
Castro to release Vázquez Portal
as well as the other 28 journalists. Since
November 2003, prominent Latin American
journalists and writers have also signed
the petition.
U.S. signatories include the following
journalists: Carl Bernstein, Clarence Page,
David Remnick, Ed Bradley, Anthony Lewis,
Gwen Ifill, and Michael Massing.
Latin American signatories include [see
full list] the following: Tomas Eloy Martínez
(Argentina), Sergio Ramírez (Nicaragua),
Elena Poniatowska (México), Alejandra
Matus (Chile), Javier Darío Restrepo
(Colombia), Michèle Montas (Haiti),
Ricardo Uceda (Peru), Teodoro Petkoff (Venezuela),
Jorge Canelas Sáenz (Bolivia), Rosental
Calmon Alves (Brazil), Rubén Darío
Buitrón (Ecuador), Jaime López
(El Salvador), Benjamín Fernández
Bogado (Paraguay), Nelson Fernández
(Uruguay), Armando González (Costa
Rica), and José Rubén Zamora
(Guatemala).
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