Still Relevant: José Martí on the 160th anniversary of his birth

"There is no forgiveness for acts of hatred. Daggers thrust in the name of liberty are thrust into liberty's heart." - José Martí 

 "One revolution is still necessary: the one that will not end with the rule of its leader. It will be the revolution against revolutions, the uprising of all peaceable individuals, who will become soldiers for once so that neither they nor anyone else will ever have to be a soldier again." - José Martí

José Martí

José Martí Cuban statesman, poet, and journalist was born one hundred and sixty years ago today in Cuba. His ideas remain as relevant today in the struggle for a free Cuba as ever. The following are two reflections from past presidents of the Free Cuba Foundation on the words of José Martí.

 

 "It is terrible to speak of you, Liberty, for one who lives without you. A wild best does not bend its knee before its tamer with greater fury. One discovers the depths of hell, and from there looks up at freemen with their sun-like arrogance. One bites the air, like a hyena biting the bars of its cage. One's spirit writhes inside the body, like a man who has been poisoned. The wretch who lives without freedom feels like dressing in the mud from the streets Those who have you, o Liberty, do not know. you. Those who do not have you should not speak of you, but win you." - José Martí




 "There are men who live contented through they live without decorum. Others suffer as if in agony when they see around them people living without decorum. There must be a certain amount of decorum in the world, just as there must be a certain amount of light. When there are many men without decorum, there are always others who themselves possess the decorum of many men. These are the ones who rebel with terrible strength against those who rob nations of their liberty, which is to rob men of their decorum. Embodied in those men are thousands of men, a whole people, human dignity." - José Martí

Season for Nonviolence: Honoring figures of nonviolence in Cuba

"If what we do for Cuba, we do not do for love, better not do it." - Bishop Agustin Roman

"Forty Ladies in White marched through the Fifth avenue promenade in Miramar, Havana and dedicated the march to Jose Marti and Mohandas Gandhi." - Angel Moya, January 27, 2013

Both in 1998 and 2008 the Free Cuba Foundation organized gatherings and activities to reflect on the shared values and ideals of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jose Marti. At first blush it appears that Marti would be the odd man out who died in battle on horseback in the 19th century fighting for Cuban independence, but then we read his words and the life that he lived and realize that he rejected hatred and saw violence as a last resort not to be entered into lightly.

An essay published in Spanish in the El Nuevo Herald by a La Salle student outlined the lives of the three men. It is in José Martí's writings that the reader finds a man who loved freedom, rejected hatred -even of one's enemy- and only embraced violent conflict as a last resort. One wonders if instead of riding into battle on horseback if he would've been the trailblazer of nonviolent resistance. What would have Cuba's political culture been like if as in the case of Havel the Cuban poet and writer would've lived to have been president and guide the new republic in the first years of its existence?

Its been said that when a friend betrayed him to the police José Martí sent him the following poem:

Cultivo una rosa blanca

En julio como en enero,

Para el amigo sincero

Que me da su mano franca.

Y para el cruel que me arranca

El corazon con que vivo,

Cardo ni ortiga cultivo,

Cultivo una rosa blanca.  

It translates to English as follows:

I cultivate a white rose 

In July as in January 

For the sincere friend 

Who gives me his hand frankly. 

And for the cruel person who tears out 

The heart with which I live, 

I cultivate neither nettles nor thorns: 

I cultivate a white rose.

The Season for Non-Violence spans the 64 days on the calendar between the martyrdom of Mohandas Gandhi on January 30, 1948 and Martin Luther King Jr.'s on April 4, 1968. For Cubans this period of time is also particularly impacting because one day earlier, January 29 marks the birth of Harold Cepero and in late February the anniversary of the birth of Oswaldo Paya,  the deaths of Orlando Zapata Tamayo and four members of Brothers to the Rescue. All of these men are nonviolent martyrs who struggled for freedom with love and without hatred. Let us join in honoring them over these next 64 days.

Oswaldo and Harold: Six months later...

 "I have been told that I am going to be killed before the regime is over but I am not going to run away."- Oswaldo Payá, August 4, 2006

Rosa Maria Payá Acevedo tweeted this photo of her dad, Oswaldo Payá with Harold Cepero today with the text below

"Today, six months since the deaths of my father and Harold Cepero, remains the certainty of two full lives, free, dedicated to love." - Rosa Maria Payá Acevedo, over twitter, on January 22, 2013

The Christian Liberation Movement posted the above embedded video playlist on twitter along with the text: "Remembering Oswaldo and Harold six months after they snatched them from us."

Six months following their untimely deaths the evidence mounts that their deaths were not the result of a tragic car accident but based on the regime's behavior to a government conspiracy.

Today is also a good moment to reflect on the importance of these two men and what their loss means to Cuba.

At the same time, people of good will need to agitate for justice and the Christian Liberation Movement has provided a mechanism to do just that. Sign an online petition demanding an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Oswaldo's and Harold's deaths. Their friends and families are asking for help.

Let others know about their legacy as nonviolent human right defenders and the need to have the circumstances of their deaths cleared up.

Dear members and prospective members of the Free Cuba Foundation over the next month a number of important anniversaries will present themselves: February 23, 2013 is the third anniversary of the death of Orlando Zapata Tamayo and February 24 will be the 17th anniversary of the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown. Now, tragically February 22 will mark the seven month anniversary of the deaths of Oswaldo and Harold.

In one week, it would have been Harold Cepero's 33rd birthday. He was born on January 29, 1980. We should rally around that date to celebrate his life and demand truth in the circumstances surrounding his death.

Please send us via e-mail or post in the comments section below ideas for activities to coincide with these three back to back dates. 

Three things you can do right now in solidarity with Oswaldo, Harold and the Christian Liberation Movement:

1. Sign the petition and let others know about it. (Its in English and Spanish)

2. Follow the Christian Liberation Movement and Rosa Maria Payá on twitter.

3. Generate your own blog entry about Oswaldo and Harold and send us your ideas for future actions.

 

Remembering Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas in Film

Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas 1952-2012

Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas spoke out for human rights and freedom inside of Cuba for decades challenging the Stalinist regime that has ruled over the country for 54 years. Over the course of that struggle Oswaldo's courageous stand was documented and recognized the world over.

Below are a few, of the many, highlights found in two documentaries: Dissident: Oswaldo Paya and The Varela Project and The Cuban Spring. The first was done by a U.S. based non-governmental organization (NGO) and the second by a Czech based NGO.



Although not directly titled, Oswaldo appeared extensively in the documentary: The Cuban Spring



Finally, Oswaldo had the opportunity to travel the world in 2002 when he recieved the European Union's Sakharov Prize and spoke at the London School of Economics. Its in Spanish without subtitles but its Oswaldo unfiltered expounding his views.



Oswaldo died under suspicious circumstances on July 22, 2012 with Harold Cepero and family members are demanding an international investigation and have an online petition underway.

Friday Mass for Innocent Cuban Martyrs

Harold Cepero Escalante and Mario Manuel de la Peña

The Cuban Democratic Directorate and members of the exile community are offering a Mass officiated by Father José Luis Menéndez to pray for the souls of Harold Cepero Escalante and Mario Manuel De la Peña on Friday, December 28, 2012 at 8pm at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at 3220 NW 7th Avenue Miami, FL.

December 28 is the Day of the Holy Innocents and is a religious holiday named in honor of the young children slaughtered by order of King Herod around the time of Jesus’ birth. These young victims were called“Holy Innocents” because they were too young and innocent to have committed any sins.  

Tomorrow we will pray for two young men whose lives were taken before their time who dedicated themselves to serve others and make the world a better place dedicated to defending human rights and saving the lives of others. 

On Friday, December 28, 2012 Mario Manuel de la Peña, who was born in the United States in the township of Weehawken, New Jersey in 1971, should have been 41 years old.

One month and a day later on January 29, 2013 Harold Cepero Escalante, who was born in Cuba in the municipality of Chambas in the province of Ciego de Ávila in 1980, should be celebrating his 33rd birthday.

Sadly, neither young man will have the opportunity to do so. 

Mario Manuel de la Peña was one of four men shot down by Cuban MiGs on February 24, 1996 while searching for Cuban rafters in the Florida Straits in international airspace. Mario was 24 years old when he was killed.



Harold Cepero Escalante was a youth leader in the Christian Liberation Movement and died under suspicious circumstanceswith its founding leader Oswaldo Paya Sardiñas on July 22, 2012. Harold was 32 years old at the time of his untimely death. Family members are demanding an international investigation into the deaths of Harold and Oswaldo.

Although the Free Cuba Foundation is not organizing this event, it does call on members to attend and honor these two young men who gave their last full measure in the defense of human rights and dignity.

Father denounces daughter's persecution on Human Rights Day

Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia and his daughter Martha Beatriz Ferrer

How did officials of the regime in Cuba observe international human rights day on December 10, 2012 in a local school? Officials celebrated the dictator who ruled the island for the past half century as a human rights champion while at the same time targeting a young girl for refusing to participate and threatening her friends. Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia described over twitter the campaign government officials are waging against his 15 year old daughter:

Martha Beatriz Ferrer, my daughter of 15 years, was the victim yesterday of deception, harassment and ill-treatment at her College Prep school in Palmarito de Cauto. Cuban communist party leaders in the Mella municipality harassed Martha Beatriz for refusing to participate in a political action for Human Rights Day. In the political act that my daughter refused to participate in they began claiming that Fidel Castro was a champion in the defense of human rights. The actions against my daughter Martha Beatriz at school are increasing. Because of her charisma and courage she greatly concerns the political police. The political police, Cuban communist party and education leaders pressured Martha Beatriz's classmates not to involve themselves with her.

They are pressuring parents of the classmates of my daughter Martha Beatriz. Students from the College Prep school have been threatened with measures in their school record if they visit our home in Palmarito de Cauto. The campaign against Martha Beatriz intensifies so that her friends not attend her 15th birthday.

 The original Spanish is available below:

Martha Beatríz Ferrer, mi hija del 15 años, fue víctima ayer de engaño, acoso y malos tratos en Pre-Universaritario de Palmarito de Cauto. Dirigentes del PCC en el municipio Mella acosan a Martha Beatríz por negarse a participar en acto político por Día de los Derechos Humanos. En el acto político que mi hija se negó a participar comenzaron afirmando que Fidel Castro era un paladín en la defensa de los d. humanos. Las acciones contra mi hija Martha Beatríz en su escuela van en aumento. Por su carisma y valor preocupa grandemente a la policía política.  La policía política, dirigentes del PCC y Educación presionan a compañeros de aula de Martha Beatríz para que no se relacionen con ella. Presionan a padres de los compañeros de clases de mi hija Martha Beatríz.

 A los alumnos del Pre-Universaritario le han amenazado con medidas en su expediente escolar si visitan nuestro hogar en Palmarito de Cauto.  Se intensifica la campaña en contra de Martha Beatríz para que sus amigos no asistan a su 15 cumpleaños.

Take Action on International Human Rights Day

The human rights situation in Cuba is grim and getting worse. Women are being beaten up and detained for exercising their rights. The United Nations ignores the violence committed by agents of the Cuban government. A young girl was repeatedly knife attacked for defending these women. Opposition leaders have been murdered in actions organized by State Security and covered up. Meanwhile another prisoner of conscience is being denied water by prison officials in an effort to either kill him or break his spirit on day 29 of a hunger strike. An American and a Spaniard are held hostage and used to blackmail the United States and Spain. A cholera outbreak that threatens countless lives is downplayed by the dictatorship.

This is Cuba in 2012.

What are you willing to do about it?

Can you take two minutes of your time and demand justice, freedom and an end to the repression of human rights defenders in Cuba?

Then take action and do it:


Justice:

Petition Demanding International and Transparent Investigation into the deaths of Paya and Cepero
http://cubanexilequarter.blogspot.com/2012/07/petition-demanding-international-and.html

Freedom: 

Government of Cuba: Free Calixto Martínez Arias, and Stop Harassing Journalists and Dissidents
http://www.change.org/petitions/government-of-cuba-free-calixto-mart%C3%ADnez-arias-and-stop-harassing-journalists-and-dissidents

End Repression: 

Protect Human Rights Defenders in the Americas
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/AmericasHRDs