It was on April 24th this year that the Polish Committee of Solidarity with Cuba celebrated its first anniversary of formation. On that occasion last Thursday there was organized an informal meeting of committee members with the aim of discussing a current situation on Cuba.
President Lech Walesa whose speech opened the meeting expressed his hope that the gathering would contribute to finding appropriate means of helping the Cuban and would define a proper form of support towards those who fight for freedom and democracy on the island. Former Polish Ambassador on Cuba, Tomasz Turowski, has paid attention to the fact that present changes merely reflect the process of privatization and bestowing the national property on the privileged state members; the phenomenon of which has lasted since 2002 and currently is just being legalized. According to Ambassador Turowski all changes towards democracy on Cuba are impeded by division of opposition who can not resign from individual programs for the benefit of the common good.
Tomasz Turowski has remarked that Raul Castro’s abolition of some restrictions, such as purchase of mobile phones, PCs, DVDs and advance household appliances or stay in resorts that could be attended so far only by foreign tourists, serves only for distracting the attention away from real needs of Cuban nation – that is freedom, independence and respect for human rights.
Jose Torres, a Cuban musician who has settled down in Poland, expressed sorrow at the fact that Cubans let Fidel Castro make a decision himself about resigning from the position of the leader of Cuba’s National Assembly and giving up power. Jose Torres explained that while attempting to restore democracy Cubans lack strong, charismatic leader as well as unity and cooperation – the same one that in the year 1980 united Poles and led them to victory in their fight with totalitarian regime. Zbigniew Bujak, a former headman of Solidarity of Mazowsze Province (NSZZ Solidarnosc), observed that Cubans should select a leader from democratic activists on the island who would help them to achieve their goal. Recalling time of Solidarity and the latest history of Poland Professor Bronislaw Geremek stated that to reach that objective “the government must be unable whereas society must want”. Professor added that only through negotiations one can lead to the collapse of regime because while use of violence defines regime, truth is an asset of the opposition.
At the meeting of the Committee there was also present Frank Calzon, a famous Cuban dissident, a chairperson of Centre for a Free Cuba - one of the most important emigration organizations striving for freedom of Cuba and helping its citizens on the island. Frank Calzon addressed Poles with a request for help mentioning their history of Solidarity and recent experiences which could show Cubans a proper path towards their freedom. Recalling the journey of Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid, Frank Calzon expressed a conviction that Cubans dis not need in Brussels the dictatorship but a spokesman of their society. Calzon believes that Poland could play this role.
In the meeting organized in Lech Walesa Institute there were also present Izabela Cywinska, Maciej Stasinski and Waldemar Dubaniowski .
On the occasion of the approaching 5th anniversary of the Cuban Black Spring the Lech Walesa Institute will present the exhibition “It is our problem too. The Women of the Prisoners of the Cuban Spring” – the photo-documentary of the lives of the wives, sisters and mothers of 75 Cuban dissidents sentenced by the communist regime in Cuba in 2003. The exhibition created by Alexander Polo in collaboration with People in Need will be shown in the university Collegium Civitas in Warsaw on March 10-18, 2008.
The world, accustomed to barbarities, will direct its attention to Havana only when Fidel Castro’s influence decreases. Meanwhile, Cuban jails are filled with people that have a different point of view from the authorities regarding what is beneficial for their country. Thousand of Cubans prefer to risk their lives escaping in a raft through the sea than to remain on the island. At the same time, for many poor people in Latin America who experience injustices, the Cuban system appears to be socially just.
2012-02-09
General information 