To the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations;
to the Director of Amnesty International;
to the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights;
to the Director of Human Rights Watch;
to the Director of the International Red Cross;
to the Director of Reporters without Borders;
to the International Public Opinion,
Two months have elapsed since Costa Rica’s Office of Immigration granted a humanitarian visa to Normando Hernandez, an opponent of Cuba’s communist regime. The Cuban Government continues to pursue its policy of silence in this matter while exerting a constant and inhumane pressure on Mr. Hernandez, a journalist who has been unjustly imprisoned and suffers from a number of afflictions as part of his extremely precarious health.
This visa was issued to Mr. Hernandez thanks to efforts by Costa Rican legislators Fernando Sanchez, of the National Liberation Party, Evita Arguedas, of the Libertarian Movement, and Jose Manuel Echandi, of the National Union Party. Mr. Echandi stated, just a few weeks ago, that he would report the insensitivity of the Cuban authorities to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We hereby support this action and ask the international community to cooperate in this important humanitarian effort.
Mr. Hernandez, who was arrested during the “Black Spring” of 2003 together with 74 members of Cuba’s peaceful civic opposition is now being held in a prison known for its conditions of extreme hardship.
The progressive deterioration of Mr. Hernandez’ health is something the Cuban Government is perfectly aware of, as the only responsible party for the prompt and fatal results of keeping him in prison.
We hereby appeal to international humanitarian solidarity for assistance in gaining the release of Normando Hernandez from prison and enabling this innocent journalist to leave Cuba (for safe haven in Costa Rica).
World public opinion will no doubt one day sit in judgment and sanction all those involved in this ongoing crime against humanity.
Sincerely,
LIBERAL NETWORK OF LATIN AMERICA(Relial, Red Liberal de America Latina) – Red Libertad (Argentina) – Fundacion Atlas 1853 (Argentina) – Fundacion Civico-Republicana (Argentina) – Recrear para el Crecimiento (Argentina) – Partido Primero la Gente (Argentina) – Instituto para la Gestion (Argentina) – Fundacion Libertad y Democracia (Bolivia) – Notoria: Agenda para una Sociedad Libre (Bolivia) – Instituto de Estudios Empresariales (Brazil) – Instituto Liberdade (Brazil) – demócratas, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) – Juventudes Democratas (Brazil) – Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (Brazil) – Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo (Chile) – Instituto de Ciencia Politica (Colombia) – Movimiento Libertario (Costa Rica) – Asociacion Nacional de Fomento Economico (Costa Rica) – Instituto para la Libertad y el Analisis de Politicas (Costa Rica) – Asociacion de Consumidores Libres (Costa Rica) – Instituto Libertario (Costa Rica) – Instituto Ecuatoriano de Economia Politica (Ecuador) – Instituto para la Libertad (Ecuador) – Movimiento Reformador (Guatemala) – Instituto de Educacion y Capacitacion Civica (Guatemala) – Red de Ex-Becarios de la Fundacion Friedrich Naumann (Honduras) – Partido Nueva Alianza (Mexico) – Contrapeso (Mexico) – Centro de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo A.C. (Mexico) – Alianza Liberal Nicaraguense (Nicaragua) – Fundacion Libertad (Panama) – Fundacion Libertad (Paraguay) – Partido Justicia Nacional (Peru) – Instituto de Estudios de la Accion Humana (Peru) – Instituto Politico para la Libertad (Peru) – Instituto de Libre Empresa (Peru) – Vanguardia Liberal (Peru) – Peru Liberal (Peru) – Circulo Liberal (Uruguay) – Centro de Divulgacion del Conocimiento Economico para la Libertad (Venezuela) – Fundacion Iberoamerica Europa (España) – Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (EE.UU.)
COORDINADORA NACIONAL CUBANA – Partido Independentista de Cuba – Instituto Panamericano para la Democracia – Fundacion Nacional Cubano Americana – Primer Partido Nacionalista Democratico de Cuba – Municipios de Cuba en el Exilio – Cuba-Accion 13 de Marzo – Comite Cubano Pro-Derechos Humanos – Ex-Egresados de la Enseñanza Tecnica – Movimiento Unidad Triunfante – Alianza Nacional Cristiana – Asociacion de Musicos Cubanos Libres en el Exilio – Asociacion Patriotica “Jose Marti”
Contacts: Pedro Lopez (Miami, USA) Telephone: (+786) 419 6163 lpedro152@yahoo.com
Victor H. Becerra (Mexico City, Mexico) Telephone: (+5255) 5550 1039 victor.becerra@mexico.fnst.org http://www.relial.org/
Recibido gracias a Hacer.
