Identidades in English No 1, February 2014 | Page 51

Norman Hill Raul Castro President Cuba Dear President Castro, I am writing as President Emeritus of the Philip A. Randolph Institute, a national organization made up primarily of black trade unionists acting as a bridge between the Trade Union movement and Civil Rights movement, fostering black labor alliance for racial equality and economic justice. I hereby register my firm protest of the arrest of Manuel Cuesta Morua, the leading Afro-Cuban dissident in Cuba and Spokesperson of the social democratic movement Arco Progresista, and the oppressive conditions under which he has been released. The treatment of Cuesta Morua is a clear violation of internationally recognized norms guaranteeing freedom of speech and assembly. They reinforce Manuel’s concerns about racial discrimination in Cuba. Mr. Cuesta Morua is being accused by the Cuban government of “disseminating of false news against international peace” because of his writing about racial issues in Cuba. As a result, he cannot travel outside of the country and could face up to fifteen years in jail. I stand in full solidarity with Mr. Manuel Cuesta Morua for his courage to stand up to oppression and dedication to achieve a more democratic and racially inclusive Cuba. I urge you, President Raul Castro, to drop all charges pressed against Mr. Cuesta Morua and work with him and other members of the island’s peaceful civil society movement to charter a democratic future for Cuba. As we reflect during Black History Month in the United States and our nation’s struggles towards racial equality and freedom, we raise our voices in support of those who courageously stand up for the same values in Cuba and around the world. With his courage and dedication to the cause of human rights, democracy, and economic justice, Manuel Cuesta Morua stands full-square in the tradition of the great American civil rights leaders: Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin. All Americans who believe in freedom offer him our solidarity and support. Sincerely, Norman Hill President Emeritus A. Philip Randolph Institute 50