Dear Editor,

It is with a most disgusting and nauseating feeling that I am compelled to respond to two recent press releases by the Cuban Ambassador to The Bahamas, Mr. Felix Wilson Hernandez. After more than 30 years of being involved with human rights issues, I have drawn certain logical conclusions about dictators, their embassies and their diplomatic representatives when it comes to presenting the truth objectively to the public.

They portray an idyllic society or country, one that is in the best interest of its citizens or one where the population is living in a "paradise." By carefully and deliberately controlling the flow of information, it is possible to create an "Animal Farm" society, where only the leaders and the system controls the behaviour of individuals. Anyone who challenges this process or offers a contrasting point of view, no matter how patriotic the motive, is deemed an "enemy" of the state and is either imprisoned or otherwise deprived and punished in some way.

Without the basic facts of life in such a brainwashed and controlled nation, the reality of truth is an alien concept. Consequently, a nation drifts in this sea of ignorant "facts" in this artificial society, dependent on those who enforce this unjust system on their own people as the ones who have their best interest at heart. Of course, this is all pure hogwash.

One just has to look at the collapse of The Berlin Wall during the early 1990s to see what happens when the yoke of oppression is lifted from the shoulders of an oppressed people. What the government had been telling the people was anything but the truth. If these kinds of controlled societies were so great, why haven't any of these countries reverted back to their old ways once the people have had a taste of freedom?

Ambassador Wilson Hernandez, like others of his kind, has mastered the art of deceit, misrepresentation and manipulation of the facts. He cleverly and selectively presents what he wants to present, but takes great care to avoid and duck irrefutable facts. The standard procedure is to blame the messenger, rather than deal with the message. His suggestion that just a few persons, "honestly, no more than six voices," presented opposing views on aspects of Cuba is most ridiculous.

This is truly amazing. As an experienced human rights activist for over three decades, I am fully aware that on many occasions I was the only voice of reason in the wilderness. History has shown that on a number of such occasions, the position that I took was indeed the correct one.

Ambassador Wilson Hernandez also attempted to identify some of Cuba's critics who had made public statements just prior to the May 9, 2006 United Nation vote that questioned Cuba's record on human rights, "including foreigners." As someone who had written a number of articles from Boston, Massachusetts, critical of Cuba's poor human rights record, it is an educated guess that there is a clear reference to my submissions. Of course, I must excuse Ambassador Wilson Hernandez's ignorance of this particular critic of Cuba's violations of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights.

By way of introduction, please allow me to introduce myself as in the past Ambassador Wilson Hernandez had been a terrible judge of my character. First of all, I must state for the record that I am not an "enemy" of Cuba, nor am I an American puppet as you have described persons who voiced contrary opinions to that of Cuba's. Nor am I a "foreigner" — even though I currently reside in the United States — trying to influence Bahamian public opinion.

Indeed, I am a born Bahamian with Cuban heritage as my grandfather had come to The Bahamas from Cuba. Therefore, I have a strong interest to ensure a good relationship between The Bahamas and Cuba.

Those who really know me are aware of my dedication to human rights – not just locally but around the world – for the past three decades. By suggesting that I may be a puppet or partial to one system or government is a completely false perception. On more than one occasion, I have even been referred to as a "communist"! I was one of those University students during the 1970s that protested against institutions with major investments in an apartheid South Africa and for the freedom of Nelson Mandela. My greatest moment of personal triumph was meeting Nelson Mandela when he was on his way to become the President of South Africa. Man, talk about the stone that the builder refused! That was the moment of my life when I committed to fight oppression wherever it exist in the world. I also realized that I had to speak for others who couldn't speak because their government ignored the Universal Declaration by denying its citizens freedom of expression within its borders.

Over the years, much of my opinion has been expressed in the press and so there is certainly a paper trail that anyone can follow if they would like to know where I stand on a particular issue. Ambassador Wilson Hernandez, you seem to feel that because someone criticizes Cuba, it automatically makes you an American puppet. You must be objective in your thinking. On a number of occasions, I have openly taken President George W. Bush to task and publicly demonstrated against him over his policies, both domestic and foreign, some of which both you and I might agree upon. In the 2002 Presidential Election, I openly campaigned against President George Bush.

Fortunately, the United States Constitution is consistent with the Declaration as it provides for the freedom of expression. This is completely contrary to the situation that exists in Cuba. I have often imagined what will happen to me should I visit Cuba and voice my opinion the same way that I do in the United States. Or hold a placard demanding a change in Cuba's policies in front of a Cuban government building or high ranking official? I find it completely amazing that Ambassador Wilson Hernandez can demand that the media be more balance and fair when dealing with Cuban matters. Coming from a country that has imprisoned Journalist for lengthy periods, how on earth can he even fix his mouth to make such an outrageous request knowing full well that the country he represents has zero tolerance for objectivity?

As if pre-programmed, whenever Ambassador Wilson Hernandez and his sympathizers are asked about Cuba's human rights record, the immediate reaction is to divert attention from the issue by attacking the United States. The issues of the war in Iraqi or the prison at Guantanamo Bay Ambassador Wilson Hernandez feels legitimizes whatever indiscretion committed by Cuba. Ironically, despite the avalanche of criticism over Guantanamo Bay Prison by the Cuban government, almost every day in the various News Medias, the public can see to some extent what is happening in Guantanamo Prison. It is inhumanely unconscionable that the public or an Independent Watchdog group has not seen the inside of a Cuban prison in almost 50 years since Fidel Castro became president. However, my concerns over the oppressive manner in which Cuba controls its citizens goes back almost two decades. Prior to August 19th 1992, I often identified Cuba with the Bahamas as the only two countries in the entire western hemisphere that both only had one government controlled and censored Radio/TV station. Essentially, the Opposition and those with opposing or contrasting points of view had no avenue to express themselves. The only explanation of an event in the country was that of the government. Needless to say, all too often, the government got its facts wrong. During the 1980s, on behalf of the Grand Bahama Human Rights Association, I applied for a licence to open an Independent radio station called Radio Freedom. After several years of trying, the application was eventually rejected by the then Prime Minister, the Honorable Sir Lynden Pindling. With the change in government on August 19th 1992 and the liberation of the airways, in hindsight, Sir Lynden Pindling has since then admitted to the effect that this liberation was within the best interest of the Bahamas and democracy. Today, Cuba is the only country in the entire western hemisphere with just one government controlled and censored Radio/TV station in the whole country. To ensure its citizens don't listen to other stations, some stations are electronically "jammed" just so that the Cuban people cannot hear another opinion on a matter. This is a complete disgrace Ambassador Felix Wilson and goes against the grain of the Declaration. Cuba should be ashamed to punish its own citizens in such a disgraceful way and is morally disqualified from sitting on any United Nations Council dealing with Human Rights!

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Leatendore Percentie

Boston, Massachusetts