When the Law is Respected / Wilfredo Vallin Almeida

When the Law is Respected / Wilfredo Vallin Almeida
Translator: Chabeli, Wilfredo Vallin Almeida

A journalist from abroad asked me about the content and the
implementation of something known in Law as Right of Appeal, which in
Cuba turns out to be problematic.

In our case, the first problem is that our multi-awarded compatriot
Yoani Sanchez brought this action against the Minister of Interior,
General Abelardo Colome Ibarra.
The reason why Yoani did such a thing is that she has been invited, on
nearly twenty occasions, to receive her awards abroad, but has never
been given a "White card" — the permission to leave the country — so she
can receive her awards in person.

The second problem is that in the XXI century the world has evolved
enough, so that in any country its citizens are the most important
thing. And that means we must treat these people with the human dignity
that José Martí claimed for the Cubans and that is now found in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The third problem is that "according to the law" the actions of the
government and the state must have legal foundations and legal
procedures that are clearly established, known, and within reach of
citizens, enabling them to defend their rights in any given situation.

The fourth problem is that when we act ignoring the laws and legal
procedures that exist, we fall in the arbitrariness of the authorities,
something not very well regarded in these times.

The fifth problem is that the people will never tolerate this
arbitrariness indefinitely, and they will begin, as the well-known
blogger has, to use the resources that the national law gives… to the
protesters.

The sixth problem is that the problem now created (and forgive the
redundancy) could have been avoided by respecting Article 63 of the
Constitution of the Republic:

Every citizen has the right to make complaints and petitions to the
authorities and to receive the attention or the appropriate responses on
time, according to the law.

Perhaps we can find a moral in all this: Problems can be avoided … when
rights are respected.

Translated by Chabeli

8 June 2012

http://translatingcuba.com/?p=18941