To the Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy II
Dear Congressman Kennedy,
My name is Laury C. Gutiérrez. I am a resident Scholar at
WSRC, Brandeis University and a 2009 Radcliffe Institute fellow at Harvard University. I am a musician by profession. I am writing to you as a citizen of
both Venezuela and the United States to ask you to reach out to the Venezuelan
government and urge them to respect the human rights of those who are currently
protesting, to restore freedom to leaders of the opposition, to restore freedom
of the press, and to stop the used of armed militia (Colectivos) against the citizens of Venezuela.
The Kennedy family is well known for
supporting democracy and social justice, not just in the United States, but throughout
the world. I am asking that in the great tradition of your family, you and your
organization Citizens Energy stand by the people of Venezuela as they exercise their
rights through peaceful protest.
I ask that you urge the Venezuelan government
to refrain from using force and violence against peaceful protests. I ask that
you encourage the Venezuelan government to respect the basic right of all human
beings to question their government without fear of violence or retribution.
The government of Venezuela has given
millions of dollars of subsidized oil to help better the lives of U.S. citizens.
Now it is the people of Venezuela who desperately need your help and that of
Citizens Energy. The people of Venezuela would appreciate your standing by
their basic human right to peacefully protest.
I strongly believe that silence is not
an option. For you to remain silent concerning the crisis now confronting
Venezuela would seem to be like a betrayal of the values that your family has
fought for over many decades. The Kennedy family has been at the forefront of
the struggle for human rights: from civil rights for African-Americans, to women’s
rights and more, the Kennedy family has always been on the right side of
history.
Therefore, in the great tradition of
your family and everything you embody, I ask you to please take a stand on
behalf of the people of Venezuela. Don’t leave them “out in the cold.” On
behalf of human rights and justice, I implore you to make a statement
condemning violence against peaceful protest in Venezuela. I ask you to call on
the Venezuelan government to exercise restraint, to let in the press, and to
let the voice of the people be heard. I beg you to contact your friends in the
Venezuelan government, as you have referred to them in the past, and urge them
to respect the principles of a truly democratic nation, including freedom of
speech, respect for the rule of law, enforcement of basic human rights, and
stopping the use of paramilitary force against civilians.
Thank you for taking the time to consider
my urgent request for your help in protecting the rights of the Venezuelan
people. I also thank you for helping the needy in Massachusetts. It is
wonderful that you have aided so many Americans who find themselves in economic
difficulty. I am hoping that you will also help to protect the people of Venezuela, who are in desperate need of your voice and your assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Laury C. Gutiérrez
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