Open Letter to Cuba’s Two-Faced Writers

Open Letter to Cuba's Two-Faced Writers
September 18, 2013
Alfredo Fernández

HAVANA TIMES — Around six months ago, when Cuban writer Angel
Santiesteban was imprisoned for the "crime" of openly expressing himself
against the island's government – on domestic abuse charges – the
State's repressive apparatus, bold as brass, organized a smear campaign
against the author.

This campaign culminated with an open letter signed by several writers
who are members of the Association of Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC)
: Marilyn Bobes, Luisa Campuzano, Laidi Fernandez, Sandra Alvarez, Zaida
Capote Cruz, Danae Dieguez, Lirians Gordillo Piña and Helen Hernandez
Hormilla. In the letter, they had no qualms about attacking the
imprisoned author and, as such, in legitimating the alleged crimes he
had committed against his former spouse.

These writers paid little attention to the fact that Santiesteban denied
each and every one of the accusations leveled at him, as well as to the
fact the supposed witnesses to the crime ultimately withdrew their
statements and chose not to declare at the farcical trial of the author.

No, they wrote the letter all the same, not only in defense of
Stantiesteban's ex wife, but on behalf of all women, who ought to be
spared all forms of abuse and subjugation.

What strikes me as curious now is that it's been more than a week since
Cuban television actress Ana Luisa Rubio was brutally assaulted,
literally shoved out of her own house and beat up by the members of the
Committee for the Defense of the Revolution in her block and other
members of Cuba's repressive forces she'd never seen before, with total
impunity, and we haven't heard a word from these writers. A week later,
the actress' face is still covered in bruises.

As soon as I heard the news, I thought it was just a matter of time
before Marilyn Bobes and her gang would strike back, armed with all
imaginable evidence about the crime. I also thought that, this time
around, they would be even more angered than they were in the case of
Santiesteban. But, strangely enough, nothing happened, and I'm beginning
to doubt anything will.

What strange women these are, who jumped on Santiesteban without the
slightest shred of evidence and now keep quiet, with all of the evidence
in the world at their disposal! I don't for a moment want to think that
you believe the assault on actress Ana Luisa Rubio this past Friday 6th
was deserved and that the alleged beating of Santiesteban's ex wife was not.

To even toy with this possibility, to think of the double standard they
evince in their statements as intellectuals and as self-avowed opponents
of violence against women, leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Perhaps they will prove me wrong, and write a letter condemning these
attacks by CDR and State security thugs, and show a bit more indignation
now than when they wrote their letter condemning Santiesteban. I
sincerely hope so.

Come on, writers, speak up now! Many of us are still waiting for you to
dispel the doubts that your ambiguous posture have brought upon us.

Source: "Open Letter to Cuba's Two-Faced Writers" -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=98860