The Varela Project

In March 2003, nearly 80 dissidents were arrested, tried, and sentenced to up to 28 years in prison in the most severe crackdown the island has seen in recent history. Many of the imprisoned dissidents were organizers of the Varela Project (Proyecto Varela), a constitutionally-based civic initiative that collected signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on democratic reforms and respect for basic freedoms. The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights believes that these people have been wrongfully imprisoned, solely for openly exercising basic rights guaranteed to them in both international and Cuban law and has urged the Cuban Authorities to order their immediate release.

Named after Felix Varela, a 19th century Cuban priest who called for Cuba’s independence from Spain, the Varela Project began in March 2001. Based on a previously little-known provision in the Cuban Constitution, Article 88, that allows for citizens to introduce legislative initiatives to be decided by national referendum when accompanied by the signatures of at least 10,000 registered voters, the Varela Project proposed five reforms. These reforms are: democratic elections, free speech, free enterprise, free assembly, and freedom for political prisoners.

In May 2002, the broad-based coalition of organizers presented, at great personal risk, more than 11,000 signatures to the National Assembly just days before former U.S. President Jimmy Carter visited the island and mentioned the signature campaign in an uncensored telecast. Since then over 30,000 signatures are reported to have been collected in spite of the risk of official reprisals faced by organizers and signatories.

The leader of the Varela Project, Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas, has not been arrested, although he has been under constant surveillance and has received threats and been the subject of harassment. A lifelong non-violent dissident, Oswaldo Payá received the prestigious 2001 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought given by the European Parliament and the National Democratic Institute’s 2002 W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award. Mr. Payá has also been nominated to receive the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize.

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