Havana, Cuba, Jul 7, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The former president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, has sent a letter to the promoters of the Varela Project—which is collecting signatures for a referendum on political changes in Cuba—stating the dissident movement proves the Cuban government deceives its people.
The Varela Project “proves the Cuban regime lies” because “it has not responded to a demand for political change based on the current Constitution,” said Havel in his letter to Oswaldo Paya, leader of the movement. The letter, which was sent three months ago, was made public by the Mexican magazine “Letras Libres.”
In the letter, Havel reiterates his desire to continue supporting the actions of Paya.
According to the Cuban Constitution which is supposedly recognized by the Castro government, if citizens present a petition with 10,000 signatures calling for a referendum, it must be put to a vote. However, since 2002 the Varela Project has collected more than 25,000 signatures, but there has been no response from the government.