When the President of Cuba Fidel Castro had to undergo surgery recently, the U.S. government immediately issued ominous declarations. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and White House Spokesperson Thomas Snow began to talk about “transition” and the need for “democracy” and not another “dictator” in Cuba, all code words meant to lay the basis for a dangerous intervention.

In Florida, the beat of intervention increased as millions of dollars robbed from badly needed social services were instead pumped into T.V. and Radio Marti in order to incite chaos in Cuba. These attempts to provoke instability failed just as they have failed for almost 50 years.

Around the world, thousands of voices including from Nobel Peace Prize winners, leaders of governments, authors, union leaders and others from around the world signed on to a call against U.S. intervention, recognizing the danger for Cuba. (Visit www.porcuba.org to sign on to this international letter.

The voices of solidarity and against intervention must be strong from the U.S.

We, the undersigned who represent community and student organizations, trade unionists, civil rights and peace activists, seniors and every day people in the United States, want the people of Cuba and its leadership to know that President Bush does not speak for us.

We therefore declare the following:

• We call on the Bush administration to end the hostilities against Cuba including the end of the blockade.
• We demand that Washington respect the right of the Cuban people to determine their own destiny, free of any form of intervention.
• We proclaim our support for the Cuban Five political prisoners, who continue to remain unjustly locked up in U.S. prisons for opposing terrorism and defending their people. These brave Cubans have not been allowed to see their families or exercise the most elementary of democratic rights.
• We demand the immediate release of the Cuban Five and remind the powers that be that justice delayed is justice denied.
• We also wish to send our sincere and deepest wishes to President Fidel Castro for good health and strength and for a speedy recovery.
• We want to express our warmest birthday greeting to President Fidel on the occasion of his 80th Birthday, August 13th.

OUR HEART FELT WISHES FOR THE HEALTH AND STRENGTH OF PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO.

Sincerely,
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