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Marti Plan for reconstruction of the Republic of Cuba

2007-04-30 / Luis Alberto Lacalle, former President of Uruguay

Once the dictatorship has fallen and Cuba will continue its democratic journey, an enormous effort will be necessary in order to transform Cuba in a free and prosperous nation.
The “Marti Plan” aims to support the process with economic and human resources through coordination of activities carried out by international actors, by Cubans who live in the island and those who live in “the Pilgrim Homeland”.

It will be necessary to offer economic contribution and technical aid consisting in the introduction of knowledge and business and trade union experience which would channel the every-day life of a nation that during 50 years has known neither liberty nor justice.
It is essential to remember and to make clear that the Cubans are the only ones to undertake the task. They and their democratic government will carry out the changes and the cooperating actors, be it nations, institutions or individuals, will act only when asked by the legitimate representatives of the Cuban population.
In this introduction, special mention must be made of the phenomenon of exile. During the last half century, without any similar precedent, thousands of compatriots were separated, new generations were born and grew up loving and yearning for country the do not know. Others remained in the native land, suffering the tyranny. All of them are Cubans and all of them can and should contribute to the reconstruction process. Having in mind this aspect, the Marti Plan wishes to combine all the contributions and to connect and bring closer together those who were separated for so long.


PLAN’S SUMMARY

The plan proposes two types of contribution:
a) Economic, which comprise financial resources, technological support and commercial opportunities.
b) Human, including creation of leadership structures (leading officials) and training opportunities.
More detailed concept is explained below:

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION

Destruction of Cuba’s economic base created by the tyranny will require economic recourses and legal and cultural measures that would establish a modern society.
Reconstruction fund
It is a body of public international right with limited duration of existence. It will centralize contributions from different sources.
The aid will be reciprocal, aiming at creation of private culture and initiative with its rights and duties. Loan installments and interest rates will be as generous as possible. However, the loan shall be properly paid back. It can be agreed that the loan repayments, once offered, will be used as donations to the education and public health system.
One part of the fund resources will be donated to educational and health institutions that will submit specific projects.
The fund will be lead by a board of directors made up of important personages of the world and managed by a director with experience in the finance sector.
The contributions will be free or onerous, provided by governments, public or private entities or individuals.
The aim of the support will be to establish democratic government in Cuba. Its contributions will be offered to public entities (central and local government, public personages of the state) or to private corporations.

HUMAN CONTRIBUTIONS

Fund of Technical Assistance
The introduction of knowledge and experience in public and private life represents a central point of the task that awaits us.
In the public sector, technical support will be offered to improve the constitutional and administrative area and help organize political parties and trade unions. However, it will be done so only after the Cuban government has requested it.
In the private sector, a list of persons with business experience will be offered to companies and business organizations that will have the chance to request these people. This activity will be free in terms of personal rewards.
The assistance will last, at most, as long as the Marti Plan is valid.

DURATION

Duration of the Marti Plan will be limited, announced beforehand and its end will not be postponed. Its aim is to help, to create an impulse, but it can not replace authentic public and private action.
Once it fulfills its duties, the initiative will disappear. If its contribution helps to create freer, more prosperous and fair Cuba, its goal will be fully achieved.


Berlin, April 2007

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This project is supported by funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic through the Transition Promotion Program.