In a joint appeal, Václav Havel, Arpád Goncz and Lech Walesaask Europe, among others, to support Cuba's dissidents in their bid tooverthrow Castro's oppressive regime.
Exactly six months ago today, Fidel Castro's regime imprisoned 75 representatives of the Cuban opposition. More than 40 co-ordinators of the Varela project and over 20 journalists, together with other representatives of various pro-democracy movements, landed in jail. All of them were sentenced in mock trials to prison terms ranging from six to 28 years - merely for daring to express an opinion other than the official one.
Yet the voice of free-thinking Cubans is growing louder, which is precisely what Castro and his government deservedly must be worried about.
Despite the omnipresent secret police and government propaganda, thousands of Cubans have demonstrated their courage by signing the Varela project, which draws on the Cuban constitution and calls for a referendum on the freedom of speech and assembly, the release of political prisoners, the freedom of enterprise and free elections.
The response of the regime to the Varela project, as well as other initiatives, however, is at best disregard and at worst persecution.
The latest wave of confrontations, accompanied by anti-European diatribes by Cuba's political leaders, can be regarded as nothing but an expression of weakness and desperation. The regime is running short of breath - just like what happened to the party rulers in Iron Curtain countries at the end of the 1980s.
Internal opposition is growing - even police raids in March failed to bring it to its knees. The times are changing, the revolution is ageing together with its leaders, the regime is nervous. Castro knows only too well that there will come a day when the revolution will perish together with him.
Nobody knows exactly what will happen then. However, the clearer it is in Brussels, Washington, Mexico, among the exiles as well as Cuban residents, that freedom, democracy and prosperity in Cuba depend on the support for Cuban dissidents, the better the chances for a future peaceful transition of the Cuban society to democracy.
Today it is the responsibility of the democratic world to support representatives of the Cuban opposition, irrespective of how long the Cuban Stalinists manage to cling to power.
The Cuban opposition must experience the same international support as the representatives of political dissent did in the run-up to a recently-divided Europe. Condemning responses combined with specific diplomatic steps coming from Europe, Latin America and the United States would, therefore, be suitable means of exerting pressure on the repressive regime in Cuba.
It cannot be claimed that the US embargo of Cuba has brought about the desired results. Neither can this be said about the European policy, which has been considerably more forthcoming towards the Cuban regime.
It is time to put aside transatlantic disputes about the embargo of Cuba and to concentrate on direct support for Cuban dissidents, prisoners of conscience and their families. Europe ought to make it unambiguously clear that Castro is a dictator and that, for democratic countries, a dictatorship cannot become a partner until it begins a process of political liberalisation.
At the same time, European countries should establish a "Cuban democracy fund" to support the emergence of a civil society in Cuba. Such a fund would be ready for instant use in the event of political changes on the island.
The historically recent European experience of peaceful transitions from dictatorship to democracy, be it earlier in Spain or later in the countries of central Europe, has been an inspiration for the Cuban opposition. It is, therefore, Europe in particular that should not hesitate, in view of its own experience. It is obliged to assist by its own history.
Václav Havel, Arpád Goncz and Lech Walesa are former presidents of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.