CUBAN LIBRARIES SOLIDARITY GROUP
PRESS RELEASE

Letter from John Pateman, Information for Social Change, to Paul Sturges, Chair of IFLA Committee on Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE), 1/17/04

Dear Paul,

Congratulations on your election to the position of Chair of FAIFE. This is a very powerful position and one that can exert considerable influence. It is also open to influence from others. I am concerned with FAIFE's latest statement about internet access in Cuba. I am concerned for three reasons:

1. the sources of this information. Amnesty International have previously been proved wrong about their position on Cuba. This is because they have believed information sent to them by organisations such as Freedom House and the "Friends of Cuban Library" (FCL) who have a political agenda against the Cuban government. Both Freedom House and FCL have received funding from the US government under the Toricelli Act which is designed to foment internal dissent in Cuba with a view to overthrowing the Cuban government.

2. the FAIFE statement completely ignores the context in which Cuba operate. This context is a US blockade which has lasted over 40 years despite repeated UN resolutions to have it lifted. When is FAIFE going to start a campaign against the blockade, which is the biggest barrier to freedom of information in Cuba? The blockade issue has been heightened since 9/11 and the Bush administration's sabre rattling against Cuba. Senior members of the US government, including Colin Powell, have refused to rule out an armed invasion of Cuba. To compound this, the EU has changed its Common Position on Cuba and has severely restricted cultural exchanges with Cuba. Is this not something that FAIFE should be condemning?

3. the FAIFE statement fails to acknowledge the gains in education, literacy and libraries in Cuba since 1959. The price of books is cheap, libraries are everywhere and they are well stocked with long opening hours. Are these signs of a government that wants to restrict freedom of information? Instead of being criticised, Cuba should be upheld as a shining example of what can be achieved in a developing country in terms of library provision. Compare Cuba with its neighbours, Jamaica and Haiti; compare it with most Latin American and African countries; indeed, compare it with many developed countries, including the US and UK. Perhaps FAIFE could produce a world league table of books and libraries per head of population - and start criticising those at the bottom of this table rather than those at the top?

The campaign against Cuba is being stepped up by those in the White House who seek "regime change" in Havana. IFLA and FAIFE should not allow themselves to become an agent of this campaign.

Yours sincerely,

John Pateman
Information for Social Change

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