The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) released a call on Monday, February 16, to artists and intellectuals of the world to mobilize in defense of the Cuban cause. Due to its importance, we reproduce the text in its entirety:
“Cuba has fought for centuries, first to achieve its independence and then to defend it fiercely. Such immense resistance against the most powerful and predatory empire in human history has been achieved through the immense sacrifice of its people. The conscious resistance of those of us who live on the archipelago stems from convictions and reasons learned long ago.
“José Martí, the great poet and patriot, defined our noble destiny in 1894: ‘In the heart of America lie the The Antilles, which, if enslaved, would be mere pontoons in the war of an imperial republic.”
“Cuba’s greatest wealth lies in its people. We do not possess oil reserves or other highly coveted natural resources, but we have developed a human capital capable of shaping resilience through creativity and knowledge.
“Cuba does not foster terrorism, although we have been victims of it. We cherish peace, inextricably linked to our independence. We have always aspired to build a just and equitable society. We have eradicated illiteracy and reduced infant and maternal mortality to levels comparable to those of the developed world. We send doctors and teachers to other nations when others only drop bombs. We create vaccines that are distributed free of charge. We promote sports as a right of the people and are the Spanish-speaking country that has won the most medals in the history of the Olympic Games.
” “We have a comprehensive, free system of art schools, where dancers, actors, painters, filmmakers, musicians—many from humble backgrounds—have been trained, generating a powerful and internationally recognized artistic movement.
“Since the revolutionary triumph of 1959, we have aspired to achieve the highest cultural level for our people. Fidel showed us that illiteracy could be eliminated and that we must fight to eradicate racism and discrimination in all its forms through a framework of laws and active vigilance. We have made progress in the integration and defense of the rights of our women, who are now members of parliament, executives, and professionals on equal footing with men.
“We approved a progressive Family Code that protects love in its diverse forms of expression.
“Despite the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States since 1962, which has been successively intensified, culminating in the suffocation implemented by the current U.S. government, we do not renounce our dreams of prosperity, justice, and peace.”
“” “Resistance comes at a high price and imposes great sacrifices on our people every day, requiring us to stoically face the cruelty of the extraterritorial measures of the U.S. government.
“The empire says that Cuba represents a threat to its national security, which is ridiculous and implausible. It has decreed an oil blockade, with the consequent paralysis of hospitals, schools, industries, and transportation. They are trying to prevent our doctors from saving lives; they are trying to paralyze our free and universal education system, to plunge us into famine, into a lack of energy to guarantee access to drinking water and cooking food; in short, they intend to slowly and cruelly extinguish a country.
” “Cuba resists and will continue to resist this inhumane aggression, but it has the active solidarity of all honest, humanist, and well-intentioned men and women of the world. The aim is to prevent a genocidal act and save a heroic people whose only ‘crime and threat’ has been defending their sovereignty.
“Cuba has never attacked any nation. Cuba practices international solidarity even under conditions of extreme blockade. To stand with Cuba today is to defend peace and the right of all peoples, however small, to the full exercise of their sovereignty.”
” “The UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba) calls upon all intellectuals and creators worldwide to mobilize in defense of the Cuban cause, as Martí defined it in 1895 when writing about our duty in America: ‘Whoever rises up for Cuba today, rises up for all time.’
Signatories to date of publication of this appeal:
1. Miguel Barnet Lanza, writer, poet, and ethnologist; Honorary President of the UNEAC, National Literature and Heritage Prize winner
2. Marta Bonet de la Cruz, President of the UNEAC
3. Nancy Morejón, writer and poet, National Literature Prize winner
4. Lesbia Vent Dumois, National Prize for Visual Arts winner, Vice President of the UNEAC
5. Abel Prieto Jiménez, writer, president of Casa de las Américas
6. Pedro Pablo Rodríguez, researcher, historian, National Prize for Social Sciences
7. Virgilio López Lemus, writer, poet, National Prize for Literature
8. Waldo Leyva, National Prize for Literature
9. Francisca López Civeira, researcher, National Prize for Social Sciences
10. Rafael Acosta de Arriba, writer, National Prize for Cultural Research
11. René Fernández, National Prize for Theater
12. Miriam Muñoz, National Prize for Theater
13. Zenen Calero, National Prize for Theater
14. Viengsay Valdés, National Prize for Dance, director of the National Ballet of Cuba
15. José Oriol, National Prize for Community Culture
16. José Menéndez Sigarroa (Pepe Menéndez), designer, National Prize for Design
17. José Villa Soberón, sculptor, National Prize for the Arts Visual Arts
18. Eduardo Roca “Choco”, National Visual Arts Award
19. Margarita Ruiz, researcher, National Cultural Heritage Award
20. Flora Fong, National Visual Arts Award
21. Arístides Hernández “ARES”, graphic humorist, caricaturist, National Humor Award
22. Fátima Patterson, National Theater Award, Director of Macuba Theater
23. Juan Piñera Infante, composer, National Radio and Artistic Education Award
24. Digna Guerra, choral director, National Music Award
25. Josefa Bracero Torres, radio broadcaster, National Radio Award
26. Ramón Espigull, radio broadcaster, National Radio Award
27. Eslinda Núñez, actress, National Film Award
28. Roberto Ferguson, audiovisual director, National Television Award
29. José Ramón Artigas, audiovisual director, National Television Award
30. José Loyola, musician, National Prize for Artistic Education
31. Roberto Valera, musician, National Music Award
32. Guido López-Gavilán, composer, pedagogue, orchestra director and National Music Award winner
33. Raúl Rodríguez, radio broadcaster, National Radio Award
34. Alex Pausides, National Editing Award
35. Miguel Iglesias, director of Contemporary Dance of Cuba, National Dance Award.
36. Santiago Alfonso, choreographer, National Dance Award.
37. Rubén Darío Salazar, actor, director of Teatro Las Estaciones, National Theater Award winner
38. Marta Bonet de la Cruz, musicologist, President of UNEAC
39. Magda Resik Aguirre, journalist, First Vice President of UNEAC
40. Yuris Nórido Ruiz Cabrera, journalist, Vice President of UNEAC
41. Alberto Marrero, writer, poet
42. Ernesto Limia Díaz, historian, researcher
43. Abel Enrique González Santamaría, historian, researcher
44. Vivían Martínez Tabares, director of the Theater Department at Casa de las Américas
45. Isabel Cristina López Hamze, professor at the University of the Arts (ISA)
46. Olga Teresa Pérez Berra, theater scholar
47. Juan Alberto Ante, director of Alas Teatro, First Vice President of UNEAC in Granma
48. Adis Nubia, actress with Teatro Andante
49. Julio César Ramírez, director of Teatro D Dos
50. Lourdes Cajigal, director of Compañía Así Somos
51. Vladimir Peraza, critic and researcher
52. Octavio Fraga, journalist and essayist
53. Graciela Chailloux, writer and professor at the University of Havana
54. Kenia Rodríguez, representative of ASSITEJ Cuba
55. Dennis Ramos, actor and professor at the Corina Mestre National Theater School
56. Ernesto Planas, actor, mime artist, and professor at the University of the Arts (ISA)
57. Leivan García, dancer and choreographer, director of the National Folkloric Ensemble
58. Nereida López, director of the National Theater
59. Marvis Yaquis, designer and director of the National Council of Performing Arts
60. Miguel Cañellas, director of the Tomás Terry Theater
61. Jorge Mederos, director of the Theater Center Havana
62. Mercedes Borges, professor at the ISA University of the Arts and director of the Cuba Escena website
63. José Omar Arteaga, professor at the ISA University of the Arts and editor of the Cuba Escena website
64. Eduardo Valdés Rivero, artistic director
65. Valia Valdés, actress and journalist
66. Elvia Pérez, storyteller, director of Puente de Palabras
67. Maribel López, actress with the Guantánamo Puppet Theater
68. Jorge Brooks, manager and researcher
69. Uri Rodríguez, actor and director of Teatro La Barça, President of the UNEAC in Guantánamo
70. Migdalia Tamayo, art critic and researcher, First Vice President of the UNEAC in Guantánamo
71. Jesús Lozada, physician and writer
72. Juan González Fiffe, director of Teatro Andante and recipient of the Maestro de Juventudes Award
73. Raquel González, actress and television director
74. María del Carmen Mena, Professor at the University of the Arts ISA
75. Yuliet Montes, actress with Teatro de la Utopía, Professor at the University of the Arts ISA
76. Jaime Gómez Triana, researcher and writer, Vice President of Casa de las Américas, Professor at the University of the Arts ISA
77. Reinaldo León, director of Teatro de la Utopía, professor at the Universidad de las Artes ISA
78. Luis Enrique Amador Quiñones, actor and Rector of the Universidad de las Artes ISA
79. Marilyn Garbey, researcher and writer, president of the Association of Performing Artists of the UNEAC
80. Roxana Pineda, actress and director of Teatro La Rosa
81. Norma Gálvez, director of the publishing house Envivo and professor at the Universidad de las Artes ISA
82. José Omar Torres Lopez, painter and printmaker
83. Diana Balboa, painter and printmaker
84. Humberto Mayol Viton, photographer
85. Ever Fonseca, painter
86. Liliam Chacón, dean of the Faculty of Dance Arts at the ISA
87. Raúl Torres, troubadour
88. Mabel Castillo, musicologist, president of the Association of Musicians of the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba)
89. Lourdes de los Santos, documentary filmmaker, President of the Film, Radio, and Television Association of the UNEAC
90. Manuel Herrera, filmmaker
91. Orieta Cordeiro, radio broadcaster
92. Sahily Tabares, writer
93. Jorge Alonso Padilla, television producer
94. Irene Borges, director of Espacio Teatral Aldaba (Aldaba Theater Space)
95. Victor Fowler, writer
96. Rosa Miriam Elizalde, journalist and writer
97. Omar González, journalist and writer
98. Regina Balaguer, director of the Camagüey Ballet and first vice president of the UNEAC in Camagüey
99. Armando Pérez Padrón, audiovisual producer and writer, president of the UNEAC in Camagüey
100. José Manuel Espino, writer, poet, president of the UNEAC in Matanzas
101. Yasel Toledo 101. Garnache, journalist, president of the Hermanos Saiz Association
102. Janette Brossard, visual artist and president of the Visual Artists Association of the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba)
103. Ricardo Riverón Rojas, writer, president of the UNEAC in Villa Clara
104. Carlos Figueroa, radio broadcaster, president of the UNEAC in Sancti Spíritus
105. Gerardo Houdayer, radio broadcaster, president of the UNEAC in Santiago de Cuba
106. Faculty of the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School
107. Dani Miguel Hernández Acosta, Principal Dancer and Director of the National Ballet of Cuba
108. María Mercedes García Vega, Vice Director of the National Ballet of Cuba
109. Enrique Ubieta, researcher and writer
110. Ana Irma Pérez Pereyó, musician, vice president of the Hermanos Saiz Association
111. Santa Massiel Rueda, singer-songwriter, vice president of the Hermanos Saiz Association Saiz
112. Nelson Valdés Viera, troubadour
113. Marcos David Fernández (El Kikiri de Cisneros), improvisational poet
114. Dazra Novak, writer, President of the Writers’ Association of the UNEAC (National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba)
115. Karel Leyva, poet
116. Marta Campos, troubadour, Vice President of the Musicians’ Association of the UNEAC
117. Orlando Valle “Maraca”, flautist and First Vice President of the Musicians’ Association of the UNEAC
118. Sándor González Vilar, visual artist
119. Lázaro Dagoberto González, violinist, educator, composer, and orchestra conductor
120. Beatriz Corona Rodríguez, composer and choral director
