Campaign for a National General Strike

Campaign for a National General Strike / Jorge Luis García Pérez Antunez
Antunez - Jorge Luis Garcia Perez, Translator: Unstated

The National General Strike is an important initiative sponsored by
theOrlando Zapata TamayoNational Front for Civic Resistance and
Disobedience. As its name indicates, this initiative seeks a partial
paralysis of the entire national infrastructure through strong and
systematic actions by the forces of internal resistance. In its first
and second stages the General Strike is part of a continuing campaign of
non-cooperation. This strike can be successful only after a real and
resolute decision by a significant number of citizens to deny
responsibility for, or to cooperate with, the oppressive regime.

It must be made clear that, although the National Front is calling for
and sponsoring this crucial campaign, it can only be viable with the
participation of each and every constituency for change, whether it be
the National Front, political parties, movements, regional coalitions—in
other words the energetic forces of Cuban resistance, which are the
primary vehicle of democratic change.

The campaign for the National General Strike will use only peaceful
means so that no constituencies which take part can in any way confuse
the strike with economic sabotage, or the destruction of or attacks on
state or private property.

It is the policy of the General Strike to be dissuasive and persuasive,
acknowledging that, to succeed, we must work patiently, motivated by
great faith and certainty. The only true potential for change comes from
citizens who support us, as well as those who simply look upon us with
indifference, fear or admiration for what we are doing. This includes
those we see walking beside us, in line behind us, from a private
office, and even those attacking us in so-called acts of repudiation.
All can unite with us and contribute to the great day of the General Strike.

The campaign for a General Strike can, in a powerful way, also help to
do away with the worrying fear of change that persists in many areas of
society, especially among those who are ill-informed and those most
compromised by the current regime.

The concept must be clearly understood, both by the promoters of the
General Strike as well as by those who hear its message. The purpose of
the strike is not to destroy, obstruct or cause damage to anyone or
anything. Its intention is to peacefully boycott the means of production
that confer profits on those who misgovern the millions of Cubans who
are hungry, oppressed, and without liberty or the right to protest.

The Strike is a decision and commitment by everyone, or by a great and
significant majority of Cubans, to say, "Enough!" The strategy of the
General Strike is in accordance with basic, universally recognized
rights and freedoms, which—together with the peaceful tactics it
employs—gives it legitimacy and puts it in harmony with human dignity
itself, something of primary importance.

Though a recent idea,one born that was born in Cuba, the strategy of the
General Strike Campaign is based on innumerable precedents and inspired
by similar actions around the globe. These have been successful in spite
of a number of differing circumstances, such as culture and language.

The change which the General Strike seeks is viable under any
circumstance in the struggle against the oppressive and totalitarian system.

The first phase of the campaign is outlined below:

To effect a total or partial strike before doing the necessary
preparation or raising public awareness is so unlikely as to be almost
impossible—even more so in a country like ours in which repression
affects everyone and is everywhere, where a sinister and comprehensive
system of repression controls, spies on, and penalizes the slightest and
most moderate expression of discontent or dissent. It is unthinkable and
impossible to bring the country to a total or partial standstill when
little or next to nothing has been done domestically to systematically
provide information to the average Cuban, who is misinformed and
bombarded by the state media monopoly.

Therefore, theOrlando Zapata Tamayo Front forCivic Resistance proposes
an introductory phase to develop an intense and on-going public
awareness campaign. This program will present the citizenry with mottoes
and slogans with social themes, which will initially identify us as
being concerned with the needs of the people.

This will help convince Cubans of the nature of their situation, that
they have rights, and that these right must be respected. This
information blitz will be carried out through visible channels such as
text messaging, Twitter accounts, CD's, flash drives, printed material,
as well as through pamphlets, placards and signs posted in visible,
public spaces.

We can also solicit support, through broadcasts and other media, from
friends who support the Cuban cause. This duration of this initial
campaign, to be called "Cubans, Defend Your Rights," will be open-ended
if it is determined that it can—given its importance—be postponed,or
rather extended,to other phases of the larger campaign.

This first phase is one of outreach, both internally and externally, to
the public, which has the potential to play a leading role in the very
necessary and essential change. It will be launched in light of the hard
reality that most Cubans lack access to the internet, satellite
television or cable.

Regrettably, outside of Cuba a not insignificant number of people are
able to analyze Cuban reality from the viewpoint of an open society with
a free flow of information, one of numerous advantages common in other
countries. In Cuban society only the official version can be published,
and only when and how the governing elite decide to publish it.

Luis García Pérez Antúnez

Secretary General of the Orlando Zapata Tamayo National Front for Civic
Resistance and Civil Disobedience, who will neither be silenced nor will
leave Cuba, and who reiterates that his primary objective today is the
"National General Strike."

Placetas, Cuba
August 24 2012

http://translatingcuba.com/campaign-for-a-national-general-strike-jorge-luis-garca-prez-antunez/