134 Chapter 6
groups has challenged the Cuban government, seeking to establish
domestic and international support for an alternative national vision
(Encinosa 2004). The challenge for both the Cuban government and
the dissidents is to build a political project that is capable of effectively
channeling the range of competing desires among interest groups in
Cuba, from those clamoring for political, economic and social reform
and renewal (“cambio,” or “change”) to those invested in systemic
continuity and stability (LeoGrande 2002). One dissident group in
particular, the “Movimiento Cristiano Liberación” (MCL, or Christian
Liberation Movement), has sought to create a competing political
vision and movement by developing and proposing a legislative
agenda through means that are legal and legitimate under Cuba’s 1976
Constitution. This paper reviews the history, status and potential of
the MCL’s work.
THE EVOLUTION AND CONTEXT OF THE MCL'S
CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS
This section reviews the evolution and context of the Varela^1 Project
referendum proposal, the subsequent “Todos Cubanos” legislative
agenda (derived after the 2004 National Dialog process), and ongoing
efforts to achieve their implementation (through the “Foro Cubano,”
“Unidos en la Esperanza,” and the 2009 National Dialog). Figure 1
illustrates the MCL’s major initiatives, which help craft and dissemi-
nate their message:
- The Varela Project is named after Félix Varela, a priest, intellectual, abolitionist, and
social activist from the early 19th century, who was an active figure in Cuba’s struggle for
independence.
Figure 1. MCL’s Major Initiatives
“Proyecto Varela”
“Dialogo Nacional”
“Programa ‘Todos Cubanos’”
“Foro Cubano” - Local Committees
“Foro Cubano” - National Committee
“Unidos en la Esperanza”