Varela Project - The Varela Project Citizens' Initiative

The Varela Project Citizens' Initiative

The purpose of the Varela Project was to circulate a proposal of law advocating for democratic political reforms within Cuba, such as the establishment of freedom of association, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, free elections, freedom of religion, freedom to start private businesses, and amnesty for political prisoners.

The Varela Project relies on Article #88(g) of the Cuban Constitution Text of 1976, which allows citizens to propose laws if 10,000 persons who are registered to vote support the proposal with their names, national identification numbers, addresses, and signatures.

The organization reported having collected 11,020 signatures, more than the requisite number for consideration by Cuban National Assembly. The Cuban National Assembly's Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee suspended consideration of the Varela Project citizens' initiative and responded with its own counter initiative, providing that the Cuban Constitution be amended to make permanent the socialist nature of the Cuban state. After votes were held on the counter initiative, the Cuban government claimed that it was met with 99% voter approval.

A BBC reporter noted that many Cubans said they felt pressured into signing the government's petition. According to the United States State Department, "activists reported increased harassment by State Security agents. Authorities arrested and detained Varela activists, confiscated signatures, fined and threatened activists and signers, and forced signers to rescind signatures. State Security impersonated canvassing volunteers and increasingly infiltrated the ranks of activists. In May and June, Oswaldo Paya reported State Security agents visited and pressured more than 50 Varela Project signatories to retract their signatures and denounce the Varela Project activists who had collected their signatures."