122:(issued in 2006) stated that "activists reported increased harassment by State Security agents. Authorities arrested and detained Varela activists, confiscated signatures, fined and threatened activists and signers, and forced signers to rescind signatures. State Security impersonated canvassing volunteers and increasingly infiltrated the ranks of activists. In May and June, Oswaldo Paya reported State Security agents visited and pressured more than 50 Varela Project signatories to retract their signatures and denounce the Varela Project activists who had collected their signatures." The US State Department's 2004 report on Cuba referred to the Cuban Penal Code concept of "
553:
126:," defined as the "special proclivity of a person to commit crimes, demonstrated by his conduct in manifest contradiction of socialist norms." The report said that "If the police decide that a person exhibits signs of dangerousness, they may bring the offender before a court or subject him to therapy or political reeducation". According to the
235:
The US State
Department said "Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia, a Varela Project leader and one of the 75 activists arrested in March 2003, reported serving 45 days in a punishment cell for protesting the suspension of correspondence and the delivery of food and medical supplies from his family. He did not
255:
The US State
Department said that Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet "was sent to a punishment cell for refusing to eat in the prison cafeteria, wear the uniform of common prisoners, and stand at attention when guards entered his cell. He was not permitted to read, write, or leave his cell to get exercise. In
141:
reported that, over a two-week period, 9 million Cubans took to the streets and 99% of all Cuban citizens signed a petition endorsing the constitutional amendment. The BBC said that many Cubans felt pressured into signing the government's petition. An extraordinary session of the
National Assembly
211:
In March 2003, Cuba arrested 75 human rights activists and dissidents, including 25 members of the Varela
Project, on a variety of charges. The dissidents were sentenced in public trials to prison terms of between 6 and 28 years for "mercenary activities and other acts against the independence or
236:
receive food or water during the first 3 days of his confinement and slept on a cement floor. Authorities confiscated his Bible and prohibited any contact with other prisoners. Ferrer was serving a 25 year sentence for "acts against the independence or the territorial integrity of the State.""
247:
According to the US State
Department "Barbara Rojo Arias, wife of Omar Ruiz Hernandez, an independent journalist and 1 of the 75 human rights activists arrested in March 2003, reported that her husband was denied access to required medications for his heart condition and stomach problems.
239:
According to the US State
Department, "Fabio Prieto Llorente, one of the 75 activists arrested in March 2003, reported he was held in a small cell with leaky walls and a cement slab for a bed. The cell was infested with rats, frogs, and insects".
142:
unanimously approved the amendment in June 2002. The government closed schools, offices, and factory during the session, and nationally televised the speeches; no mention was made of the Varela
Project citizens' initiative during the event.
203:
The Cuban government dismissed the Varela
Project and its petition. The Cuban government said that the project was part of a "counterrevolutionary" plot and "strategy of subversion against Cuba" orchestrated by the United States and the
130:, this provision "amounted to a subjective criterion used by the Government to justify violations of individual freedoms and due process for persons whose sole crime was to hold a view different from the official view".
243:
The US State
Department said "Yarai Reyes, wife of Normando Hernandez Gonzalez, 1 of the 75 political prisoners arrested in March 2003, reported that prison authorities incited common prisoners to beat her husband".
251:
The US State
Department said "Oscar Espinosa Chepe, a political prisoner released during the year, reported that prison officials regularly denied him adequate medical treatment during his 20-month incarceration".
137:'s Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee suspended its consideration, and responded to the Varela Project with a "counter-initiative" to enshrine "irrevocable socialism" in the Cuban Constitution. The
154:
community in the United States was split on the Varela Project. Many hard-liners opposed the project out of fears that a reformist proposal would legitimize the Castro regime, and a radio commentator at
256:
addition, prison authorities refused to accept food and medical supplies brought by Morejon or permit anyone to bring him food. As a result, Biscet found himself on a virtual hunger strike".
579:
418:
224:. According to the US State Department, many of those arrested had no access to attorneys until the day of their trial, which was by a judge subordinate to the
594:
229:
304:
299:
205:
127:
118:
599:
506:
460:
435:
160:
113:
171:
17:
386:
47:
335:
Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (28 February 2005).
584:
589:
225:
134:
217:
78:
574:
336:
294:
213:
531:
123:
86:
8:
334:
198:
94:
58:
364:
106:
70:
82:
510:
464:
439:
35:
405:
112:
About 11,000 Cubans signed the reformist Varela Project citizens' initiative. The
43:
186:
182:
486:
568:
174:
98:
51:
558:
156:
151:
181:
in May 2002 and gave a televised address broadcast throughout Cuba. The
221:
164:
74:
90:
102:
159:
said that he was fired for publicly supporting the project. The
178:
133:
The Cuban government refused to consider the petition, and the
232:
expressed concern regarding the arrests and summary trials.
77:
political reforms within Cuba, such as the establishment of
580:
Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Cuba
216:
said it was concerned that the 75 jailed activists may be
64:
138:
220:
who were imprisoned for their non-violent advocacy for
69:
The purpose of the Varela Project was to circulate a
548:
230:United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
566:
145:
484:
436:"Granma International Digital, Cuba English"
305:Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
284:(Cambridge University Press), 2011), p. 112.
42:) is a project that was started in 1998 by
300:Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
128:Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
119:Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
595:Human rights organizations based in Cuba
330:
328:
326:
324:
322:
320:
318:
316:
314:
276:
274:
272:
270:
268:
170:The Varela Project was lauded by former
57:Many members were imprisoned during the
359:
357:
65:The Varela Project citizens' initiative
14:
567:
192:
534:. Amnesty International. 2 April 2003
401:
399:
311:
303:. United States Department of State,
287:
265:
212:territorial integrity of the state".
187:Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
532:"Cuba: Massive crackdown on dissent"
354:
99:freedom to start private businesses
24:
396:
161:Cuban American National Foundation
25:
611:
406:Cuban dissident collects EU prize
177:when he made a historic visit to
551:
365:"Cuba backs permanent socialism"
206:U.S. Interests Section in Havana
167:, supported the Varela Project.
600:Nonviolent resistance movements
524:
499:
478:
419:Carter Urges Democracy for Cuba
408:, BBC News (December 17, 2002).
387:Cuban exiles bend toward reform
27:Cuban democratic reform project
453:
428:
411:
379:
13:
1:
259:
48:Christian Liberation Movement
54:, a Cuban religious leader.
7:
10:
616:
282:Direct Democracy Worldwide
196:
146:Support for Varela Project
367:. BBC News. 27 June 2002
218:prisoners of conscience
135:Cuban National Assembly
116:2005 report on Cuba in
507:"Rule of Law and Cuba"
461:"Rule of Law and Cuba"
79:freedom of association
50:(MCL) and named after
39:
214:Amnesty International
114:US State Department's
87:freedom of the press
341:2001-2009.state.gov
199:Black Spring (Cuba)
193:Black Spring (2003)
107:political prisoners
95:freedom of religion
485:NANCY SAN MARTIN.
393:(August 31, 2005).
189:in December 2002.
185:awarded Payá the
83:freedom of speech
16:(Redirected from
607:
585:Cuban dissidents
561:
556:
555:
554:
544:
543:
541:
539:
528:
522:
521:
519:
518:
509:. Archived from
503:
497:
496:
494:
493:
482:
476:
475:
473:
472:
463:. Archived from
457:
451:
450:
448:
447:
438:. Archived from
432:
426:
417:Kevin Sullivan,
415:
409:
403:
394:
383:
377:
376:
374:
372:
361:
352:
351:
349:
347:
332:
309:
308:
307:. March 8, 2006.
291:
285:
278:
165:Jorge Mas Santos
21:
615:
614:
610:
609:
608:
606:
605:
604:
590:Society of Cuba
565:
564:
557:
552:
550:
547:
537:
535:
530:
529:
525:
516:
514:
505:
504:
500:
491:
489:
487:"Posted on Thu"
483:
479:
470:
468:
459:
458:
454:
445:
443:
434:
433:
429:
425:(May 15, 2002).
423:Washington Post
416:
412:
404:
397:
384:
380:
370:
368:
363:
362:
355:
345:
343:
333:
312:
293:
292:
288:
279:
266:
262:
226:Communist Party
201:
195:
148:
73:advocating for
71:proposal of law
67:
40:Proyecto Varela
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
613:
603:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
577:
563:
562:
546:
545:
523:
498:
477:
452:
427:
410:
395:
391:Tapa Bay Times
378:
353:
310:
286:
280:David Altman,
263:
261:
258:
197:Main article:
194:
191:
183:European Union
172:U.S. President
147:
144:
66:
63:
32:Varela Project
26:
18:Varela project
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
612:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
572:
570:
560:
549:
533:
527:
513:on 2008-08-19
512:
508:
502:
488:
481:
467:on 2008-08-19
466:
462:
456:
442:on 2008-04-08
441:
437:
431:
424:
420:
414:
407:
402:
400:
392:
388:
385:David Adams,
382:
366:
360:
358:
342:
338:
331:
329:
327:
325:
323:
321:
319:
317:
315:
306:
302:
301:
296:
290:
283:
277:
275:
273:
271:
269:
264:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
209:
207:
200:
190:
188:
184:
180:
176:
173:
168:
166:
162:
158:
153:
143:
140:
136:
131:
129:
125:
124:dangerousness
121:
120:
115:
110:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
62:
60:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
19:
575:1998 in Cuba
536:. Retrieved
526:
515:. Retrieved
511:the original
501:
490:. Retrieved
480:
469:. Retrieved
465:the original
455:
444:. Retrieved
440:the original
430:
422:
413:
390:
381:
369:. Retrieved
344:. Retrieved
340:
298:
295:"Cuba: 2005"
289:
281:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
234:
210:
202:
175:Jimmy Carter
169:
149:
132:
117:
111:
68:
59:Black Spring
56:
52:Felix Varela
44:Oswaldo Payá
31:
29:
559:Cuba portal
346:15 November
157:Radio Mambi
152:Cuban exile
569:Categories
517:2008-07-27
492:2008-07-27
471:2008-07-27
446:2008-07-27
260:References
75:democratic
222:democracy
91:elections
61:in 2003.
538:24 July
371:24 July
228:. The
103:amnesty
89:, free
46:of the
36:Spanish
337:"Cuba"
179:Havana
163:under
101:, and
540:2012
373:2012
348:2021
150:The
105:for
30:The
139:BBC
571::
421:,
398:^
389:,
356:^
339:.
313:^
297:.
267:^
208:.
109:.
97:,
93:,
85:,
81:,
38::
542:.
520:.
495:.
474:.
449:.
375:.
350:.
34:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.