We are women and men of the democratic left, united by our commitment to human rights, democratic government and social justice, in our own nations and around the world. In solidarity with the people of Cuba, we condemn the Cuban state’s current repression of independent thinkers and writers, human rights activists and democrats. For “crimes” such as the authorship of essays critical of the government and meeting with delegations of foreign political leaders, some 80 nonviolent political dissidents have been arrested, summarily tried in a closed court without adequate notice or counsel, convicted and given cruel, harsh sentences of decades of imprisonment. These are violations of the most elementary norms of due process of law, reminiscent of the Moscow trials of the Soviet Union under the rule of Stalin.

The democratic left worldwide has opposed the US embargo on Cuba as counterproductive, more harmful to the interests of the Cuban people than helpful to political democratization. The Cuban state’s current repression of political dissidents amounts to collaboration with the most reactionary elements of the US Administration in their efforts to maintain sanctions and to institute even more punitive measures against Cuba.

The only conclusion that we can draw from this brute repression is that the Cuban government does not trust the Cuban people to distinguish truth from falsehood, fact from disinformation. A government of the left must have the support of the people: It must guarantee human rights and champion the widest possible democracy, including the right to dissent, as well as promote social justice. By its actions, the Cuban state declares that it is not a government of the left, despite its claims of social progress in education and health care, but just one more dictatorship, concerned with maintaining its monopoly of power above all else.

Theresa Alt Eric Alterman Ayaz Ahmed David Anderson Kevin Anderson Stanley Aronowitz Tony Avirgan Margot Backus Sanda Balaban Ike Balbus Ivan Baxter David Bensman Marshall Berman Michael Bérubé Asatar Bair Ken Brociner Dan Brook Ricardo Brown Wendy Brown Wayles Browne Chaz Bufe Eamonn Callan Lorenzo Canizares Roane Carey Leo Casey Aaron Cohen Marc Cooper Francesco D’Alessandro Lennard Davis Bogdan Denitch Bill Dixon Mark Dow Mel Dubofsky Christopher Rhoades Dykema Taner Edis Itzhak Epstein Stuart Elliot Victoria Elliott Andy English Miriam Erlich Gertrude Ezorsky Hampton Fancher Michelle Fine Barry Finger Joyce Fitzgerald Nancy Fraser Adil Hajjoubi David Garrow Joyce Gelb Todd Gitlin Peter Goodman Andrew Hagen Andrew Hammer Patrick Nielsen Hayden Richard Healey Michael Hirsch Peter Hudis James Hughes Maurice Isserman Doug Ireland David Jacobs Alan Johnson Ira Katznelson Michael Kazin Harvey Kaye Gary Kent Michael Kircher Eric Kirk Gary Kinsman Peter Kosenko Magali Sarfatti Larson Lee Levin Jeffrey Levine Mark Levinson Ernie Lieberman Ann Lieberman Melvin Little Chris Lowe Josh Lukin Anora Mahmudova John G. Mason Marvin and Betty Mandellv Shannon McLeodv R. Miles Mendenhall Mark Crispin Miller Cary Nathenson Nathan Newman Rafael PiRoman Maxine Phillips David Plotke Stephen Plowden Katha Pollitt Danny Postel Samantha Power Adam Przeworski Michael Pugliese Peter Reardon Matthew Rothschild Joel Rogers Michele L. Rossi John Sanbonmatsu Anders Schneiderman Joseph M. Schwartz Jason Schulman Michael H. Shuman Timothy Sears Mark Seddon David Norman Smith John Soldini Clifford Staples Judith Stein Paul Thomas Daniel Walkowitz David Walls Bert Wand Peter Watermanv Luke Weiger D. Langlois Williams Ian Williams Ellen Willis Reginald Wilson Elisabeth Young-Bruehl Robert H. Zieger Leo Casey