PRESS RELEASE

JUNE 9, 2008

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR CARLOS ALBERTO MONTANER IN THE FACE OF A CAMPAIGN OF DEFAMATION BY THE CUBAN REGIME

In response to the campaign of defamation against the journalist and writer Carlos Alberto Montaner launched by the editor-in-chief of the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba Granma, Lázaro Barredo, approximately one hundred and forty personalities have signed a Manifesto of Support for Carlos Alberto Montaner. Among the signers are the former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel, the former Prime Minister of Spain José María Aznar and the former President of Uruguay Luis Alberto Lacalle; writers Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru), Rosa Montero (Spain), Marcos Aguinis (Argentina), Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza (Colombia); journalists, writers, politicians, deputies, economists and human rights activists from numerous European and Latin American countries, outstanding personalities in the Cuban exile community and several dozen citizens from diverse countries who have joined this initiative in defense of freedom.

Hereunder, we reproduce the Manifesto of Support for Carlos Alberto Montaner and the signatures of the persons who have avowed their support: 

The undersigned:

In the face of the campaign of defamation launched by the editor-in-chief of the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party “Granma,” Mr. Lázaro Barredo, and in the face of his petition to the Cuban Parliament that Mr. Carlos Alberto Montaner be extradited to the Island for the purpose of imprisonment, we state:

1.- Our solidarity with Mr. Carlos Alberto Montaner, a writer with a long public trajectory in the service of freedom.

2.- Our condemnation of this type of slanderous acts as yet another example of the continuous attacks against all those who opine differently, be they Cuban or foreign, and all those who dream about the full development of democracy and freedoms on the Island.

3.- Our admonition that the behavior of Mr. Lázaro Barredo against Mr. Carlos Alberto Montaner is not in keeping with the imperious need for political and social changes that Cuban society urgently requires and expects. Slander and attacks of that nature contribute only to impede the necessary climate of reconciliation among all Cubans that will facilitate a peaceful transition to the democracy desired by all persons of good faith.

Signers:

Vaclav Havel, former President of the Czech Republic and Chairman of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba (CIDC), Czech Republic
José María Aznar, former Prime Minister, President of the FAES Foundation, member of the CIDC, Spain
Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of Uruguay, member of the CIDC, Uruguay
Dr. Antonio Guedes, Vice Presidente of the Cuban Liberal Union (ULC) and President of the Association of Ibero-Americans for Liberty (AIL), Spain
Elías Amor, economist, ULC, Spain
Mario Vargas Llosa, writer, member of the CIDC, Peru
Marcos Aguinis, writer, member of the CIDC, Argentina
Rosa Montero, writer and journalist, Spain
Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, writer, Colombia
Raúl Rivero, poet and journalist, former Cuban political prisoner in the Group of 75
Esperanza Aguirre, president of the Community of Madrid, Spain
Jan Ruml, former Minister of the Interior and former Senator, Czech Republic
Carlos Bustelo, former minister in the government of Adolfo Suárez, Spain
Otto Guevara, president, Liberal Network of Latin America (RELIAL)
Álvaro Vargas Llosa, writer, The Independent Institute (U.S.), Peru
Alberto Recarte, president of the Spanish-Cuban Foundation and Digital Freedom, Spain
Federico Jiménez Losantos, journalist and writer, Spain
Blanca Reyes, a Lady in White
Osvaldo Alfonso Valdés, former Cuban political prisoner in the Group of 75, Sweden
Jon Juaristi, writer and professor at Alcalá de Henares University, Spain
Gabriel Elorriaga Pisarik, deputy for the Popular Party (PP), Spain
Jorge Moragas, deputy, Secretary for International Relations of the PP, Spain
Carles Llorens, international representative for the Convergencia de Catalunya, author of “Dissidents in Cuba,” Spain
Mauricio Rojas, member of Parliament, Sweden
Jaime Trobo, deputy, Chairman of the Commission on International Affairs, Uruguay
Daniel García Pintos, deputy, Uruguay
Alejandro Muñoz Alonso, Senator for Madrid, PP, Spain
Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, Counselor on Immigration and Cooperation, Community of Madrid, Spain
Tomás Muñoz, economist, ULC, Spain
Beatriz Bernal, ULC, researcher and professor, UNAM, Mexico
Roland Behar, ULC, U.S.
Wenceslao Cruz Blanco, executive secretary of the ULC, Spain
Alejandro Medina, ULC, university professor, Spain
Ana Botella, Deputy Mayor and Delegate for the Environment, Madrid City Hall, Spain
Jesús Gracia Aldaz, Ambassador of Spain
Carlos Robles Piquer, Ambassador of Spain
Regino García-Badell Arias, Community of Madrid, Spain
Carlos Clemente Aguado, Vice Counselor on Immigration and Cooperation, Community of Madrid, Spain
Jorge Trías Sagnier, attorney, Spain
Alfredo Timermans del Olmo, attorney, Spain
Javier Zarzalejos, Director of Constitution and Institutions, FAES Foundation, Spain
Rafael L. Bardají, Director of International Policy at the FAES, member of the Strategic Studies Group (GEES), Spain
Alberto Carnero, Director of the International Area, FAES Foundation, Spain
José Herrera, Associate Director of the Internacional Area, FAES Foundation, Spain
Pedro Schwartz Girón, economist, Spain
Jesús Huerta de Soto, professor of Political Economy, King Juan Carlos University, Spain
José María Marco, writer, Spain
Pablo Izquierdo Juárez, president of the FIE Foundation, Spain
Carlos Rodríguez Braun, economist, Spain
Horacio Vázquez-Rial, writer, Spain
Tom Burns Marañón, consultant and political analyst, Spain
Javier Rubio Navarro, general director of Digital Freedom, Spain
Alberto Benegas Lynch, National Academy of Sciences, Argentina
Gerardo Bongiovanni, president of The Freedom Foundation, Argentina
Celso Sarduy Agüero, director of LiberPress, Argentina
Marcela Prieto, director of the Political Science Institute, Colombia
Beatriz Bugeda Bernal, expert on the environment, Mexico
Bertrand de la Grange, journalist, France
Maite Rico, journalist, Spain
Antonio José Chinchetru, journalist, Spain
Mario Noya, journalist, Spain
Clàudia Pujol, journalist, author of “Dissidents in Cuba,” Spain
Gonzalo Toca Rey, editor-in-chief of Diario Exterior, Spain
Antonio Golmar Gallego, politologist, Spain
Pablo Kleinman, publisher, Diario de América, Los Angeles, California
Alberto Acereda, university professor, United States
Ricardo Carreras, president of Spanish Solidarity with Cuba, Spain
Rafael Rubio, president of the Cuba in Transition Spanish Association (AECT), Spain
Matías Jove, executive director of the AECT, Spain
Jirí Knitl, People in Need, Czech Republic
Grace Giselle Piney Roche, projects chief, Spanish-Cuban Foundation, Spain
Elena Larrinaga, president, Spanish Federation of Cuban Associations (FECU), Spain
Ernesto Gutiérrez Tamargo, general secretary of the FECU, Spain
Jesús Carrasco, former president of the Cuban Center, Madrid, Spain
Roberto Fernández C. Riaño, former president of the Cuban Center, Madrid, Spain
Natalia Bellusova, director of the AIL, Spain
Julio Iglesias de Ussel, professor, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
David Erguido Cano, Community of Madrid, Spain
Pedro Corral Corral, journalist and writer, Spain
Julia Escobar, director of programming, Casa de América, Spain
María Torres Cayuela, professor, Spain
Valentina Martínez, chief of staff for the International Relations Secretary of the PP, Spain
Dominga de la Paz González Suárez, professor at the University of Granada, Spain
Manuel García Díaz, professor at the University of Granada, Spain
Cristina Palomares, Spain
Ana Nuño, writer, Spain
Ibsen Martínez, Venezuela
Álvaro Vermoet Hidalgo, member of the State Schools Council, Spain
Carlos González, Center for Analytical Studies for Latin America, CAS LA, Czech Republic/Chile
Fredo Arias King, Center for Analytical Studies for Latin America, CAS LA, Czech Republic/Mexico
Dr. José Noguera, professor at the University of New Hampshire, U.S./Venezuela
Freddy Valverde, editor-in-chief, Ibero-American Newsroom, Radio Prague, Czech Republic/Costa Rica
Javier de Céspedes, Cuban Democratic Directorate, U.S.
Orlando Gutiérrez, Cuban Democratic Directorate, U.S.
Janisset Rivero, Cuban Democratic Directorate, U.S.
Calixto Navarro, Cuban Democratic Directorate, U.S.
Prof. Gabriel Zanotti, Hayek Foundation, Argentina
Isay Klasse, Director IECIL, Argentina
Juan José Sebreli, writer, Argentina
Emilio Perrot, publisher, Argentina
Gerardo Ancarola, attorney, Argentina
Mary C. Turner Klasse, publisher, Argentina
Noemi Klasse, professor, Argentina
Ricardo de Zavalía, publisher, Argentina
Elena Valero Narváez, writer, Argentina
Marieta Benegas Lynch, Argentina
Gabriela Sarduy, publisher de LiberPress, Argentina
Isabel Santalla, Spain
Jorge Carrasco, Spain
Alejandro Carrasco, Spain
Julio Santalla, Spain
Lourdes Ojeda, Spain
Ángel Marrero, painter
Candelaria Marrero, publisher, The Cuban Telephone Directory
Aurelio de la Vega, composer
Sara Lequerica de la Vega, author and professor
Fidel Torres, communicator
Norma Montero, librarian
Guillermo Suñé, engineer
Carmen Suñé, educator
Luis A. Baralt Mederos
Marina E. García Aedo
Roberto García García
Ana Rodríguez Martín
Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas
Silvia Raquel Martínez-Solanas
Elena Lenahan
Amado Lorenzo
Enrique Artalejo
Gilda Calleja Medel, professor
Iván de la Mora
Pedro López, chairman, First Nationalist Democratic Party of Cuba
Vicente R. Gutiérrez Santos
María Victoria Fernández-Ávila Hernández, España
Juan Escandell Ramírez
Manuel A. Fernández Franco
Ana María Morán Blas
Lucía Fernández Morán
Pablo A. Fernández Morán
Concepción Franco López
José Andrés Canal Esquivel
Agustín Blázquez
Radhis Curí
Modesto Arocha

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