Learning of the “Velvet Revolution�
Juan Carlos Hernandez Hernandez
Director APLOPRESS.
juanchernandez2002@yahoo.es

SANTIAGO OF CUBA - November 6, 2009 (www.miamiprogressive.com) the 20 anniversary of “the Velvet Revolution�, names by which it is known the political process that put aim in 1989 to the predominance of the Communist Party in Czechoslovakia we celebrated, it by strategic questions on the advance.  Of two in two we went arriving at the indicated place and the premises were made small more and more.  Between hugs and greetings we were leaving outside to the heat and the fear that it instills to attend anyone of these activities proscriptas by the regime; the brotherly atmosphere, did like more of insurance.

The celebration was taken to reflect a little and to draw conclusions on the coincident elements that they are possible to be taken like reference for our cause. In such sense a documentary one projected on the events of the 17 of November of 1989 in the Czech Republic and it was continued with a debate on the initiative of the Democratic Ungovernability and its project of the Municipalities of Opposition.

From way to house it remembered the beautiful images of the Prague, capital of the Czech Republic and the million tourists who visit every year after to disappear that enormous iron curtain like which she exists today in our country. But what it made an impression to me more it was the decision of the dissident groups to create a platform to coordinate his activities with the purpose of to end the communist regime and the form to say it “somehow intelligent� to obtain it.

We know the strength of the reason that attends to us, in fight by the freedom, but we ignored our weaknesses. The dissidence or Cuban opposition follow enquistada in his first stage of the civic fight does not do violence to, the denunciations. It is urgent to us to burn stages, to take advantage of the spaces, knowing that we are more than those than publicly we pronounced ourselves. The dissidence and the displeasure every day is present in the state institutions: companies, universities, intellectuals, even in the own Armed Forces and the rows of the communist party, téngase present the case of Calos Lage and Felipe Perez Roque, among others.

The spirit of fight of our town always has been present, many projects have arisen that somehow generally reflect acting and desire of our opposition and town, by only mentioning some examples we remember the “Project Varela� of the Christian Movement of Liberation, “the Ladies of Target�, the Assembly for the Promotion of the Civil Society, the Cuban Rural Civic Project, the Latin American Federation of Rural Women - FLAMUR -, the Independent Libraries, the Project by the University Autonomy and many others until arriving at one from the most promising projects to reach our definitive democratization, the Municipalities of Opposition.

The crisis in all the senses that the country lives, next to the physical and mental deterioration of their governing cupola is bringing about a great division in high the sphere of the State.  Who listens Lazaro Espósito Canto, First Secretary of Party Communist of this province, when she informs on the result of that inspection that surprise realizes to each one of the First Secretaries of the different municipalities that recently somehow have been audited, at least in the province from Santiago of Cuba, sincerely and without having much political knowledge, anyone realizes immediately by where we walked and towards where we go.

We cannot occur the luxury to leave for morning preparing us arrived the moment for being able to be that competing force that is able to locate to the regime and to raise to us with the triumph in some political fight that takes place.  I consider the idea of the “Municipalities of Opposition very opportune and successful� since this structure responds to the exigencies of a future government. Their promoters, their promoters, presidents, commissioners and delegates of circumscriptions, are become, little by little with their social demands in the representatives of the town.

Nevertheless, this beautiful initiative has found many obstacles, as much I commit like external, some of them orchestrated by the Security of the State, but in any case, although not to the rate that we wished, we are becoming visible, forming leaders, genuine servants public for a future government, that is our main premise.

However, the task is arduous, I suffer in own meat and therefore I include/understand the rigor of the repressive organs of the political police against the leaders of this important initiative, but we cannot let to us drag by the fear and the rigors of the economic obstacles that we suffer.  We must leave to a side the puerile justifications and the personal interests, if sincerely what we want for our mother country it is his freedom. If on the contrary, we are not arranged to face the risks and to give us to our cause with loosening and honesty, simply hagámonos to a side and leave to the space for which if they wish to do it, by the honor that the mother country imposes.

He is painful to observe the apathy and justifications of some compatriots, who do not know under that I interest assume certain positions and soon they want to make opposition of laboratory or simply give time to that they are mentioned by the Office of Interests of the United States for his interview for the program of political refugee. Of all it is well-known, whatever leave to I exile, without making absolutely nothing to deserve the condition of political refugee, falsifying realities or putting of photo in photo, to only obtain necessary endorsement and soon they arrive at I exile and they forget the cause that said to defend.

The distrust cannot be the justification for the lack of strategic unit. The Security of the State, is in charge to make it and when somebody causes doubts, the unique form to measure it is by the results of its work. We must be united, a single man by very good intentions, desires to work, spirit of I sacrifice, etc. that it has cannot take all the weight of a cause. In these years of fight we have obtained something very significant, we superpose to the fear of the repression and that by itself is a great change, destroying the myth of which everything is lost and that a transition is possible, without that means a catastrophe for Cuba.

If tomorrow a collapse of the system in Cuba took place, as it happened in East Europe, very few political organizations or parties have created structures able to assume the challenge to train government. Perhaps the Christian Movement of Liberation would be one of which it would be in better conditions perhaps for reacting and the Progressive Arc, but has less followers, so that in an electoral process the Communist Party could win with ample majority.

 Our Project of the Municipalities of Opposition has all to win, but for that time is needed and brought back to consciousness. In my particular case, I have still more gained the hatred of the Security of the Be in favor of my tenacity and insistence in the fulfillment of the tasks like promoter of the Municipal Governments of Opposition.

 If the members of the Municipalities of Opposition, assume with political will the idea to work and they do not justify so much with the lack of resources, as computers to write up (the majority finishes occupied by), printers, money for the red, paper that is special and thus thousands of justifications, the government at the moment could not make against the amount of demands, that day after day were appearing to them. With the few resources that I have received I have managed to print the Project of the Municipalities of Opposition, General the Methodologic Norms and the Lineamientos and I have occurred them to members of different organizations and itself ahead, go house by friendly house and known, taking the message, although sometimes I am with the cold reception that destroys the heart to me.

You from exile have fortified to me from all the points of view and I hope that the forces do not leave to me and to be able to follow ahead. I feel the pressure of the Security of the State on me, but I only ask to him to God, that in spite of all the disadvantages that we are happening, we manage a day all to embrace in our pretty and dear mother country and to shout to all lung THE ALIVE FREE CUBA!