Filmmakers, actors, writers, journalists, and philosophers urged the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party to release political prisoners and launch a dialogue with the opposition.


The intellectuals from the island and on exile, in an open letter to Mr. Miguel Díaz-Canel, published on Wednesday, called for the release of peaceful protesters arrested during the July 11 anti-Communist Uprising.

With hope and concern, we have observed the massive peaceful protests on July 11 in Cuba. We hope because Cubans from all over the country have protested, for the first time, in unity for freedom and fundamental human rights, the authors of the letter stated.

These protests were peaceful and firm, they emphasised in Freedom For Cubans letter.

The signatories rejected with disgust, as they stated, the wave of brutal repression that the Cuban regime responded to the demonstrations.

Mr. Díaz-Canel, they pointed out, refused to listen to the simple demands of his people, and made a direct call for violence and the repression of some citizens against others.

The dozens of artists, intellectuals, musicians, filmmakers, journalists, and other personalities who signed the letter asked Communist Cuba's leader to understand that the protests were the voice of a people tired of a lack of freedom, and bad government.

Among the signatories are famous Spanish-language writers including Ms Rosa Montero, Mr. Fernando F. Savater, Mr. Amir Valle, Mr Néstor Díaz de Villegas, the filmmakers Mr. Carlos Lechuga, Mr Manuel Zayas, Mr Ernesto Chao, Mr. Ernesto Fundora, andt he chess champions Mr. Lázaro Bruzón and Mr. Garry Kasparov.