Jul 17 2021
The Board of Directors of SIGNIS, in communion with the Church in Cuba; with the SIGNIS Latin America & Caribbean Region; and with the national SIGNIS-Cuba organization, makes an urgent call to reconciliation, dialogue and respect for freedom of expression in Cuba.
We also call for the immediate liberation of those persons detained during the peaceful demonstrations in Cuba on July 11. Our prayers and our actions as communicators are and will be in solidarity with all of them and with their families and friends, who live in the anguish and the uncertainty of not knowing the detainees current condition.
As an organization at the core of which is a belief in the power of dialogue to humanize communication, we call for peace and concord among Cubans, and respect for human rights and freedom of expression by the Cuban Government.
We wish to point out that young members of SIGNIS-Cuba were arrested for participating in peaceful mobilizations “demanding civil liberties and effective resolution to the shortage of food and lack of health care in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
We make our own the call of the members of SIGNIS-Cuba: “…to reason and nonviolence; We lend our hands and hearts to building a better country, more just and noble… (W)e call for the release of those–laity, priests and the general public–who have not committed any other crime than peacefully expressing their thoughts and feelings as their consciences dictate.”
We also embrace the call of the Cuban Bishops, who stated that, “…a favorable solution cannot be imposed by force, nor by calling for confrontation. Only when parties listen to one another, can agreements be reached and real, concrete steps be taken with all Cubans without exception, to build a homeland ‘with all and for the good of all.’ That is the homeland we want.”
And we join our cry to that from another time in Latin American history by our Patron, Óscar Arnulfo Romero: “Peace has to be the work of justice”.
May the Virgin of Charity protect the Cuban people and free them from hatred and rancor!
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors of SIGNIS
Jul 14 2021
