Inspire America Foundation Chair, Marcell Felipe signs "Agreement for Democracy" with Cuban opposition groups in exile and from island at event held at Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower with Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the OAS, and Carrie Filipetti, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Cuba and Venezuela.

MIAMI, Oct. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Inspire America Foundation and island-based opposition groups of varying political views came together to adopt the "Agreement for Democracy", a common position on transition, at an event held at Miami Dade College's Freedom Tower with Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the OAS, and Carrie Filipetti, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cuba and Venezuela. 

Filipetti announced the US government was issuing a new ban on air travel to Cuba, excepting flights directly to Havana, limiting vacation travel significantly, citing the tourism dollars provided a disproportionate benefit to the Cuban military bosses who control the tourist industry in Cuba.  

The Agreement for Democracy has existed since 1998 and sets forth principles we and a number of groups have long held and advocated and which now, an increasing number of organizations are adopting.

"As a Trustee of Miami Dade College and as a member of the organizing committee, I'm very happy to see so many organizations of different view points coming together on these ten points for transition at such a crucial time when drastic new measures are coming forth," said Marcell Felipe, Chair of the Inspire America Foundation. 

Last month the Inspire America Foundation brought the Czech Foreign Minister to Miami to launch The Initiative for Democratic and Economic Alternatives (IDEAs) for Cuba in association with FIU and Columbia University. IDEAs is set to begin working on recommendations for a transition that are consistent with the Agreement for Democracy.

Full Text of the Agreement for Democracy's ten points (in English):

1. Guarantee the people's participation in the decisions of the nation through the exercise of universal, direct, and secret voting to elect its representatives, and the right to seek public office.
2. Immediately issue a general amnesty for the liberation of all political prisoners, including those who have been sentenced for fictitious common crimes, and cancel the pending political causes against Cubans in exile, so as to facilitate their return to the homeland and their reintegration into the national society.
3. Organize an independent, impartial and professional judiciary.
4. Recognize and protect the freedom of expression, of the press, of association, of assembly, of peaceful demonstration, profession and religion.
5. Protect the Cuban people from arbitrary expulsion from their homes as well as against all forms of detention, search, confiscation or arbitrary aggression, and from violation of their correspondence, documents and other communications, and defend all Cubans' right to privacy and honor.
6. Immediately legalize all political parties and other organizations and activities of civil society.
7. Refer to the Constitution of 1940, when applicable, during the transition period and convoke free elections with the supervision of international organizations within a time period not greater than one year, for a Constituent Congress which will establish a Constitution and which, during its existence, shall have authority to legislate as well as to oversee the executive. Having thus achieved democratic legitimacy, it shall call general elections in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
8. Recognize and protect the freedom of economic activity; the right to private property; the right to unionize, to bargain collectively and to strike; the Cuban people's right to genuine participation in their economic development; access to public health and education, and initiate the reestablishment of civic values in education.
9. Take immediate steps to protect Cuba's environmental security and protect and rescue the national patrimony.
10. Propitiate and guarantee the professionalism and political neutrality of the Armed Forces and create forces of public order whose rules of conduct shall adjust to the principles of this Agreement.

SOURCE Inspire America Foundation