Silvio Rodriguez calls for the right of all Cubans
to be allowed to enter and leave their country at will
A CubaNews translation by Mercedes Rosa Diaz.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.
The news that Cuban
singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez was denied a visa to enter the United
States to attend a tribute to U.S. musician Pete Seeger prompted a
letter that was published in the Dominican press. The letter, which was
addressed to Rodriguez, was written by a Cuban residing in the Dominican
Republic. Rodriguez quickly responded to the letter; the content of
both letters is published below.
An open letter to
singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez
Published in the newspaper El Nuevo Diario,
Dominican Republic, on Sunday, May 10, 2009
The person writing this is Cuban just like you. First, I support you in
your complaint against the U.S. officials who denied your request to
legally enter the U.S. to attend the tribute for Pete Seeger. It's a
loss to all that you were unable to play your music during the
celebration that took place in New York city. Like most Cubans, I too,
resent those foreign laws created to threaten the sovereignty of the
Cuban people.
Now that we have established that, I want to share with you a another
reality that is even sadder than the fact that a country's officials
refused a foreigner's request to visit their country.
Over the past 50 years, thousands of Cubans have been unable to enter
Cuba, not even to attend the funeral of loved ones as close as a mother
or a son. Among these are musicians, artists who have settled abroad
for the sake of their careers, and who are prevented from reentering
their own country despite the fact that they have praised Cuba at every
turn. Celia Cruz is a classic example.
My mother is 80 years old. I'm prevented from entering Cuba to see her,
which means that my human rights have been trampled as badly and as
unfairly as yours. You are no threat to the United States or its
society. Likewise, I'm no threat to Cuban society. Neither of us is a
terrorist or a murderer.
You can't cloak justice in political ideology. There is only justice.
The first and most important belief is that all human beings are
entitled to their respect and their dignity.
Unfortunately, our native land practices a policy called a "permanent
exit," and it's an inhuman abomination. It is anti-Cuban and a threat to
the legacy of our Mambi ancestors, who fought for Cuba's freedom so that
all Cubans could enjoy the fruits of a free society. They were guided
by Marti's dream of a country "for all, and for the good of all."
Silvio, my countryman: my freedom ends where yours begins. One must
give respect to earn respect; rest assured that I write these words
while holding you in the highest respect as a human being and a fellow
Cuban. By the same token, I would expect you to do the same for me. It
is with this in mind that I now approach you as an artist who is known
for having dedicated his life to promoting social justice and
progressive ideals during these turbulent historical times in which we
live.
I ask that you use your voice and your guitar to intone a song
promoting harmony and a respect for diversity between all Cubans. Sing
for the unification of divided Cuban families and for the repeal of this
harmful "permanent exit" policy that is a shame to the sacrifices made
and the blood spilled by our ancestors. I am not asking you to sing a
song of protest. I would rather that you make it a love song that
should touch the hearts of all Cubans, especially those which most need
to hear it.
If you want, invite other artists to sing along with you, anyone who
might be sympathetic to the cause of those who cannot be there. Sing
for those of us who are absent by necessity, but who hope to one day
return to sing at your sides. Invite Fito Páez, Ana Belén, Serrat,
Pablo, Chico, Mercedes Sosa, and anyone else who wants to open their
hearts to this endeavor. Sing for the freedom and the right for all
Cubans to be able to spend time in our native land.
Written by: Adrián Leiva
An open response to Cuban
citizen Adrián Leiva.
Havana, May 10, 2009, 5:00 p.m.
Mr. Adrián Leiva:
To begin with, I've made no complaint about being denied entrance to the
United States. I just sent an email to my sister in which I told her
that since I had not yet received a visa to travel to the United States
to attend the tribute to Pete Seeger to which I had been invited, I
would simply return to Cuba to continue work. The organizers of the
Seeger tribute asked her permission to publish the email, so we gave it
to them. That's why this came out. About two days later, during the
tribute, I wrote to the Maestro Seeger directly and asked him to forgive
my absence even though I had originally pledged that I would be there.
I explained to him—as well as I could and to my understanding—why I
could not keep my word to him. Somehow the press somewhere got hold of
the letter, resulting in all this controversy.
However, I understand; I've spoken out about what I consider to be an
error in our migration policies, like the so-called "white letter" and
the fact that permission is needed to enter and leave our own country.
It's an archaic policy that is obsolete and should be repealed. I am
convinced that when that absurd obstacle is removed, our country will be
a better place and we will all feel better about it and one another.
I can't promise I'll write a song about it, because, quite frankly, I'm
not alone when I do that—I do rely on the Muses as well. But I will
promise you this: no matter where I am, I will continue to promote the
belief that Cubans should have the right to enter and leave their
country at will, providing, of course, that they do it legally.
La negación del visado al cantautor cubano
Silivio Rodríguez para poder entrar en Estados Unidos a un acto
de homenaje al músico Peter Seeger, y su aparente difusión del
hecho por el artista provocó una carta en la prensa dominicana
de un cubano residente en este país. A ella responde Silvio
Rodríguez. A continuación ambos textos.
Carta abierta al cantautor
cubano Silvio Rodríguez
Publicada en El Nuevo Diario, República Dominicana, domingo 10
de mayo de 2009
Quien le escribe
es un cubano igual que usted. Primero me solidarizo con su reclamo ante
la negativa de las autoridades migratorias de Estados Unidos a otorgarle
visa de entrada a ese país. Lamento que su arte musical no haya podido
estar presente al acto cultural celebrado en Nueva York, en homenaje a
Peter Seeger. Igualmente como la mayoría de los cubanos rechazo todas
las leyes extraterritoriales que atentan contra la soberanía de nuestro
pueblo.
Aclarado esto, también deseo compartir
con usted otra realidad mucha más triste que la negativa de un Estado a
conceder visa a un extranjero.
A lo largo de los últimos cincuenta
años, miles de cubanos se han visto imposibilitados de entrar en Cuba,
incluso para asistir al funeral de un familiar allegado, como puede ser
la madre o un hijo. Esto incluye a otros músicos cubanos, artistas
radicados en el exterior a quienes les es prohibido entrar a su propio
país a pesar de que su arte ha llevado bien en alto el nombre de Cuba.
Celia Cruz es el caso emblemático.
Mi progenitora ya tiene 80 años. Se me
ha prohibido entrar en Cuba, lo cual indica que también podré sufrir
igual atropello a mi derecho humano y ciudadano. Usted no es una amenaza
a la sociedad norteamericana. Yo tampoco lo soy para la sociedad cubana.
No somos terroristas ni asesinos.
La justicia no puede ser revestida con
el manto de la ideología política. Ella es simplemente justicia. La
primera de todas las ideologías es el respeto a la dignidad en la
condición humana de la persona.
Lamentablemente en nuestra Patria
existe una condición llamada salida definitiva, que constituye una
aberración antihumana. Esta disposición administrativa es anticubana y
representa un acto atentatorio contra el legado de nuestros mambises que
lucharon por una Patria Libre para el disfrute de todos los cubanos. El
pensamiento que los guiaba era la máxima martiana “Con todos y para el
bien de todos.”
Compatriota Silvio: Mi libertad termina
donde comienza la suya. Es loable respetar para ser respetado y le doy
las más altas garantías que estás líneas están escritas desde el más
absoluto respeto a su condición humana y cubana. Por lo mismo espero que
usted tenga igual consideración hacia mi persona y hacia el pedido que
le haré en su condición de hombre de arte comprometido con la justicia
social y las ideas progresistas en consecuencia al tiempo histórico que
nos ha tocado vivir.
Le invito a que su voz y su guitarra
entonen una canción que reclame la concordia entre todos los cubanos, el
respeto a la diversidad, a la unidad de la dividida familia cubana y la
cancelación de la nefasta salida definitiva que constituye el mayor
oprobio a la sangre derramada por nuestros antecesores. No le pido una
canción protesta. Quisiera mejor una canción de amor que toque las
puertas de los corazones de todos los cubanos. Sobre todos a los que más
precisan de esa palabra.
Invite si quiere a todos los artistas
que quieran ser solidarios con está causa de los ausentes. Que canten a
favor de que un día también podamos estar presentes. Invite a Fito Páez,
Ana Belén, Serrat, Pablo, Chico, Mercedes Sosa, y a todos los que
quieran ofrecer su corazón. Canten a la libertad y al derecho de todos
los cubanos a estar en nuestra tierra.
Autor: Adrián Leiva
Respuesta abierta al ciudadano
cubano Adrián Leiva.
La Habana, 10 de mayo de 2009, 5 de la
tarde.
Sr. Adrián Leiva:
En primer lugar, no he hecho reclamo
alguno porque no me hayan dado visa para entrar a los Estados Unidos.
Sólo le escribí un correo a mi hermana diciéndole que como no me llegaba
la visa para cumplir con la invitación al concierto de Pete Seeger, iba
a regresar a Cuba a continuar con mi trabajo. Los organizadores del
concierto nos pidieron permiso para publicar mi correo y se lo dimos.
Por eso se supo. Dos días después, mientras se llevaba a cabo el
homenaje, le escribí una disculpa al Maestro Seeger, explicando por qué
―a mi entender― no había podido asistir a la cita. Alguna prensa después
se ha encargado de manipular lo sucedido.
Por otra parte, varias veces me he
pronunciado públicamente sobre lo que considero un error de nuestra
política migratoria, como la llamada carta blanca o permiso de entrada y
salida al territorio nacional, medida que considero obsoleta y que debe
ser erradicada. Estoy convencido de que cuando ese impedimento absurdo
no exista nuestro país será mejor y todos los cubanos vamos a sentirnos
mejor.
No le garantizo que voy a escribir una
canción sobre el tema, porque yo no soy el único que manda en eso:
también necesito a las musas. Pero sí le prometo que voy a seguir
planteando en todas partes que los ciudadanos cubanos deben tener
derecho a entrar y a salir de su país cuando lo deseen y, por supuesto,
cumplan con los requisitos legales para hacerlo.