On December 5, the Christian Democrat Organization of America and one of its members (the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba) issued a letter to Miguel Díaz-Canel, the President of Cuba, that was delivered to the Cuban Embassy in Madrid, Spain.[1]
This letter stated, “Cuba, as a nation with a rich history of struggle for dignity and human rights, deserves to move towards a model in which respect for fundamental freedoms and justice are unshakeable pillars of public life. In this regard, we consider that the existence of political prisoners represents a serious violation of human rights and an obstacle to the dialogue and national reconciliation that the Cuban people so need and deserve.”
“Men and women imprisoned for expressing their ideas or participating in civic actions are citizens who have exercised universal rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and association, which must be guaranteed without exception.”
“We firmly believe in human dignity and in dialogue as a way to build a better future. Therefore, we make this call in a spirit of respect and with the conviction that the freedom of political prisoners would be a significant gesture towards reconciliation and a commitment to the well-being of the Cuban people.”
The presidents of this organization and of the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba said that they lamented the death in prison of the young 11J protester Manuel de Jesús Guillén Esplugas and denounced the situation of opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, the target of another brutal beating on November 18.
Also on December 4, another organization (the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH)) “denounced the deaths of four peaceful 11J protesters in prison : Guillén Espuglas, Luis Barrios Díaz, who died after irregularities and negligence on the part of the prison authorities in relation to his serious health situation; Yosandri Mulet Almarales, who died on August 26, 2024, in the Julio Trigo hospital in Havana , after having tried to take his own life four days earlier, during a pass; Gerardo Díaz Alonso, 35 years old, died on October 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack.”
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[1] The Christian Democratic Organization of America calls on the regime to release Cuban political prisoners, Diario de Cuba (Dec. 6, 2024).The Christian Democrat Organization of America, which was organized in 1947 is an international organization made up of 29 political parties, groups, and associations in North America and South America that promote the principles of Christian humanism. Currently, there are 30 member political parties in 21 countries with a constituency representing 30% of all registered voters in Latin America and 10% of the entire population of the region. Each of the member parties is different, sometimes having differing views of Christian democracy itself. Some of the member parties are in government in their country, others are in the coalition government, and others are not in government. (Christian Democrat Organization of America, Wikipedia.)