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On the sixth anniversary of the crack down known as "Cuban Black Spring", CADAL gave in Buenos Aires the "Award to Committed Diplomacy in Cuba", corresponding to the period 2003-2008. The winners of the award that consisted of a plaque, were chosen taking into account the number and diversity of the votes from the different groups of disidents. The winners are: Daniel Gromann, former Business Attaché of the Embassy of Poland in Havanna; Stanislav Kázecky, former First Secretary of the Czech Embassy in Havanna; Michael Parmly, former Chief of the Section of Interests of United States in Havanna; Melanie Hopkins, former Second Secretary of the British Embassy in Havanna; Hans-Ulrich Lunscken † (1952-2008), former Ambassador of Germany in Cuba; and Andrea Brouillette-Rodríguez, former officer in the Human Rights area at the Section of Interests of United States in Havanna. Other two German diplomats and one Norwegian también were also awarded but decided not to accept the prize. The award highlights the work of foreign diplomats in Cuba, acknowledging those who during their mission have characterized for showing solidarity towards democrats in the Island and for taking committed actions facing human rights violations in that country.
The event started with the showing of a video that included the testimonies of the following persons: Héctor Timerman, Argentine Ambassador in United States (recorded at the end of 2003 in Buenos Aires); Hilda Molina, Cuban brain surgeon; Laura Pollán, "Damas de Blanco" and wife of the political prisoner Héctor Maseda; and Ricardo del Pino, Comité Cubano de Derechos Humanos (recorded on February 2009 in Havanna); and Jorge Edwards, writer and former Ambassador of Chile in Havanna and author of the book "Persona Non Grata" (recorded in March 2009 in Santiago de Chile).
Afterwards, María Reviriego, CADAL's Secretary, presented the awards to the officers of the Embassies of Poland, Czech Republic and United States, in Argentina and to Andrea Brouillette-Rodríguez, who personally came to receive the award.
The closing speech of the event was in charge of Marcos Aguinis, writer and member of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba created by Vaclav Havel; Gabriel Ascencio, Chilean representative (PDC) and member of the Human Rights Commission of Latin American Parliament; Vicente Palermo, political scientist and writer; and Martín Borrelli, local legislator of Buenos Aires (PRO).
For this award, Gabriel Salvia, CADAL's Chairman, explained that 135 people were consulted, among figures from the democratic oposition in Cuba, relatives of political prisoners and foreign diplomats who are still in the Island. All of them gave the names of 48 foreign diplomats who they thought deserve this distinction and who have left their duties in Havanna. Regarding the procedence of the votings, they were from the following places (quantities appear between braquets): Havanna (56), Villa Clara (21), Pinar del Río (4), Abroad (3), Camagüey (3), Matanzas (3), Holguín (2), Guantánamo (2), Granma (1), Sancti Spiritus (1) and Cienfuegos (1). On the other hand, the list of the countries whose diplomats where nominated as follows: Germany (146), Poland (123), United States (102), United Kingdom (85), Czech Rep. (60), Italy (36), Norway (36), Spain (32), France (6), European Union (6), Canada (6), Netherland (6), Sweden (5), Japan (5), Switzerland (2), Slovakia (2), Peru (2), Belgium (1) and Portugal (1).
This initiative was done under the frame of Puente Democratico Project, an initiative from the Area of International Promotion of Human Rights of the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL), with the aim of taking actions of international solidarity to support the efforts of democrats living in countries ruled by dictatorships and advocate in Latin American countries for the implementation of a foreign policy committed to human rights. More information at: www.cadal.org
