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Cuba: Building International Support for the Varela Project and Solidarity with the Dissidents

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Cuba: Building International Support for the Varela Project and Solidarity with the Dissidents CUBA: BUILDING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE VARELA PROJECT AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE DISSIDENTS NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS CONCEPT PAPER July 1, 2003 Introduction After more than 40 years of political and economic control by President Fidel Castro’s government, an unprecedented democracy initiative is occurring within Cuba. Known as the Varela Project, the initiative calls for a referendum on political, economic and civil liberties by drawing upon a constitutional provision that enables citizens to introduce legislation when accompanied by 10,000 signatures. However, the Project has faced many obstacles. In January, a committee within the National Assembly declared the Project ineligible for further discussion. In March, the government arrested and sentenced more than 80 human rights and democracy activists in the most severe wave of repression in Cuba in years. More than half were Varela Project organizers. The Varela Project is significant because it has planted the seeds of a genuine grassroots democracy movement. For the first time, calls on the island for peaceful political change are not emanating solely from a handful of courageous individuals whose appeals could be dismissed by the regime, but from tens of thousands of ordinary citizens. In seeking to expand freedom through peaceful and legal means, the Varela Project has broken the cycle of fear that has permeated Cuban society. It has also provided hope for thousands of citizens by pressing forward in the signature campaign despite the repression – securing an estimated 30,000 signatures to date. Representatives of the Varela Project have stated that international attention on the initiative is critical to provide protection for the organizers and citizens who have signed the petition and face harassment, intimidation and violence. They also believe that international attention makes it more difficult for the Cuban government to undermine the effort and provides a sense of solidarity for often-isolated organizers who continue to collect signatures. To meet these international needs, three international representatives have been designated to represent the Project and coordinate international solidarity efforts. For more than a year, NDI has been helping to strengthen the ability of the international representatives to promote the Project, and to expand international awareness of and support for the initiative. Among many activities, NDI has organized international events and spurred global media coverage to bring attention to the Project; arranged for meetings between Project representatives and key leaders in Europe and Latin America to advocate for support; and sponsored a documentary to inform the international community about the initiative. NDI has focused its efforts on ensuring that international support for the Project spans the democratic political spectrum. With alternative resources, over the next few months NDI will be supporting the international representatives in establishing the International Network of Support for the Varela Project, a network of political and civic leaders and ordinary citizens from around the world that will provide important recognition, support and protection to Project organizers and signers. NDI will assist the international representatives in establishing a headquarters in Madrid, Spain, which will meet the need for: a clearinghouse for information on the Project and political developments in Cuba; a data bank of individuals, organizations and governments interested in Cuban issues; and an initiator and coordinator of specific activities to raise international awareness of the Project and solidarity with those struggling for democracy in the island. While other organizations are providing crucial support to the Project, the international representatives are seeking greater communication and coordination among them. Through the proposed program, NDI would expand the International Network and meet its organizational needs, as well as conduct international awareness and advocacy campaign activities. The effort would seek to incorporate the many organizations already supporting the Project, such as the Cuban Democratic Directorate (Miami), Pax Christi (Netherlands) and People in Need Foundation (Czech Republic). NDI would also provide democracy activists in the island with information on organization and communication efforts. USAID’s funds would supplement NDI’s existing funds over the next few months, and would replace NDI’s existing funds once those resources are expended in September 2003. Proposed Program NDI seeks to continue promoting international, multipartisan support for the Varela Project and solidarity with its organizers and signers. NDI would conduct the following activities: Expanding the International Network and Meeting Organizational Needs NDI is currently working with the international representatives to establish the International Network of Support for the Varela Project. The Network will serve to increase international awareness of the Varela Project and political developments inside Cuba, and to coalesce support among governments, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, parliaments and political parties for the Project – its organizers, signatories and goals. NDI is also assisting the international representatives in establishing in the immediate period an office in Madrid, Spain, that will become the headquarters for the Network. The office will serve as a clearinghouse for information on Cuba, the Project and other democratic initiatives, as well as a data bank of individuals, organizations and governments interested in Cuban issues. Through the office the Network will stimulate initiatives in support of the Project through communications and events. The office will also enable the international representatives to facilitate communication and coordination among the many organizations already advocating on behalf of the Project to ensure that resources are used efficiently and that international campaign continues to receive direction from the island. 2 The international representatives have chosen Spain from which to establish the Network because of the important role that Spain can play in building European support for the Project, and the commitment of Prime Minister José María Aznar and his foundation to supporting the Network. Support from USAID would enable the Network to mobilize volunteers, create regional offices and engage consultants and trainers in different parts of the world to meet the campaign’s growing needs. The Network will build on the important contributions that many organizations are already making to the Project by facilitating coordination and communication among them. Please see Appendix A for a list of organizations that the Network could seek to incorporate, many of whom are already actively supporting the Project. Conducting the International Awareness and Advocacy Campaign NDI would assist the Network in carrying out the international advocacy and awareness campaign. Activities would be based on a campaign plan, the development of which NDI will be using its existing resources to support. In developing the plan, NDI and the Network will be assessing existing international support for the Project and determining from which individuals and organizations to solicit support. The focus of these advocacy efforts will be shaped by factors such as influence within the international community, ideological balance, and links to the island. NDI would help the Network to involve a diverse group of individuals and organizations in designing the campaign plan and implementing activities, particularly those who have been working on behalf of the Project over time. In keeping with the campaign plan, NDI would arrange meetings between Network members and individuals and organizations, including parliamentary groups and non- governmental organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and International IDEA. NDI would also support the participation of Network members at inter-governmental gatherings and meetings of democratic activists to provide information about the Varela Project and encourage them to take an active role in promoting it, and would help the Network members to create media opportunities to inform the global community about the Project. More specifically, advocacy efforts may include the following activities: • Institutional Solidarity – Advocating for support of the Project among governments, legislatures and international organizations, focusing on building intergovernmental and inter-party support. These efforts would raise the political cost for the actions of the Cuban government and help open political space on the island for Varela Project organizers and other dissidents. For example, in response to the Cuban government’s crackdown, NDI and the Project’s international representatives were in continuing communication with many entities that subsequently expressed support for the dissidents, including the Uruguayan Congress, Spanish Chamber of Deputies, Latin American Parliament and Socialist International. In the future, efforts would be made to contact organizations such as the International Labor Organization and Inter-Parliamentary Union through private meetings, international events and other fora. The Network would look for opportunities to showcase the Project, particularly at high-level international events with media coverage. The Network 3 would coordinate its advocacy efforts with those that other organizations
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