Mr. Prieto goes to Washington

I don't usually get political on my blog.  (Even so, you don't have to guess too much about my beliefs, but that's not important right now).

• I am a Cuban refugee.
• I am an exile.
• I am a (very proud) naturalized American citizen.

Those three things are as much a part of me as my blue eyes and sense of humor.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations 60 years ago today.

While attending a U2 concert two years ago, the words to this declaration were projected on giant screens around the concert venue.  The tears flowed freely as I thought of how differently my life would have been if we had not fled our homeland when we did. I read the rights that my compatriots still in Cuba are routinely denied and I wept harder.

I still have family in Cuba. Family whose human rights have been violated daily for the past 50 years.

President Bush has invited a group of bloggers to the White House today to meet with him.  The President is using this historic day to highlight and support people who use modern day technology – bloggers – to help the people in countries where civil and human rights are violated.

He'll be meeting with a small group of bloggers that focus on the violations of human rights in China, Iran, Burma, Venezuela, Egypt, Belarus, and of course, Cuba.  

Representing Cuba in this historic meeting today is my friend, Valentin Prieto, founding editor of Babalú blog.

I get choked up just thinking about it.

Excellent choice, Mr. President.

(Val – Godspeed. I'm sooo proud of you, my brother.)

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