14ymedio, Reinaldo Escobar, Havana, 9 September 2022 — The document announcing the constitution of an entity called D Frente [D Front] is part of the civilized tradition of using words to call for action, as opposed to the revolutionary practice of executing actions that are then justified with words.
The text complies with three indispensable rules: relevance, precision and correctness.
It is relevant because the Cuban nation needs immediate and profound transformations; it is precise because it includes the essential conquests worth working for at this time; it is correct because it is inclusive and peaceful, renounces offenses and shows respect for those who want the same thing but choose different paths.
D Frente will surely be seen from the official viewpoint as “another attempt to destroy the conquests of the Revolution,” and from the most radical environments of the opposition will probably be described as a “dialogue,” an accomplice of the dictatorship or a promoter of “fraudulent change.” The spokespersons of the regime will cite the nefarious articles of the new Criminal Code to threaten its signatories; those who refuse to renounce violence will be reproached for the absence of a clear purpose to overthrow the dictatorship.
There will be reproaches of another kind, such as that the new attempt aims to supplant existing efforts, that there is talk of reconciliation without mentioning justice, that it was no longer alluding to this or that matter or that “if so-and-so signed it, I won’t,” and whoever complains of not having been invited to write the document will always appear.
However, if it’s not violently crushed by the repressive forces, D Frente can win the approval of anyone who is looking for a civilized space of civic participation. Those who wish for a change or perhaps for “the change” that opts for moderation and prudence can join the project.
D Frente is not the first attempt of this type. Hopefully it won’t be the last!
Translated by Regina Anavy
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