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March 19,2014
The Honorable Barak Obama,
President of the United States,
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C.,20500
Dear Mr. President,
Peace be with you!
The present world is in absolute turmoil. There is much pain, suffering, depravation and
inhumanity of men against men-your continual leadership is much needed and appreciated in
alleviating these suffering circumstances beginning at home.
We the undersigned members of the Cuban Diaspora in the United States, known as the Exile
Spiritual Guides, appeal to your sense ofjustice and goodwill as regard the anawim (the poorest
of the poorest) in our nation: the undocumented men, women and children who are gravely
suffering as a result of the present laws governing immigration principles in our nation.
As President, you have both the inherent as well as the expressed Executive Powers to intervene
and stop the inhumane deportation proceedings that are systematically taking place within our
nation's borders.
We ask that pursuant to those powers, you order US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE)
to: grant temporary protected status to our suffering people by virtue of their being undocumented
in our nation; defer any enforcement departures against our undocumented people in our nation
without any accumulated penalfy consequences to them; defer any actions against undocumented
peoples in our nation without accumulated penalty consequences after the relief is lifted.
That you vigorously engage the Congress of these United States to legislate just
and equitable
irnmigration laws to all men, women and children of goodwill who desire and aspire to live in the
land of the freed and the brave, especially by removing from any new immigration laws the so
called "3 nd l0 year bar" in the present immigration laws.
We ask those rights to be extended to our brothers and sisters from throughout the world, most
especially llom our own hemisphere, as a continuous legacy to your goodwill; as your
predecessors in office once did most especially for us grateful Cuban born, now living in these
United States.
L
*eryr#
ours,
The undersigned L
America:
Espirituales Cubanos en el Exilio in these United States of North
1. Fr. Eddy Alvarez, sj, Gesir-Miami
2. Fr. Manuel "Manny" Alvarez, Divina Providencia-Miami
3. Rev. Martin N. Afforga, Presbiteriano
4. Fr. Guillermo Arias, sj, Bel6n Prep. Sch.-Miami
:
Fr. Robert Ayala, San Isidro Mission Church-pompano
6. Fr. Julio Barrios, sj, Bel6n
pre.
Sch.-Miami
7. Rev. Mr. Luis Benavides, Corpus Christi-Miami
8. Fr. Miguel Angel Blanco,
gt.
Brendan-Miami
9. Fr. Sergio Cabrera, St. Brendan-Miami
10. Rev. Mr. Rafael Calvo, St. Brendan-Miami
I l. Rev. Fermin Castafieda, Evangdlico
12. Fr. Pedro Corsds, St. Rose of Lima-Miami
13. Rev. Abel Cotelo,Iglesia Unida Cristo
14. Rev. Aida Diego,
presbiteriana
l5' Fr. Juan Rumin Dominguez, Rector de ra Ermita de la caridad-Miami
16. Rev. Lenier Gallardo, Luterano
17. Fr. Pedro Gonzalez Llorente, sj, Bel6n
prep.
Sch.-Miami
18. Fr. Francisco Hernandez, Immaculate Conception-Hialeah
19. Rev, Msgr. Tomas Marin, St. Timothy-Miami
20. Rev. Pablo Miret, Bautista
21. Rev. Mr. Antonio "Tony,'perez, Corpus Christi-Miami
22. Ftev. Edy Perez, Luterano
23. Rev. Roberto P. Perez, Metodista
24. Fr. Jorge Presmanes, OPo St. Dominic-Miami
25. Fr. Alberto Rodriguez OP, St Dominic-Miami
26. Fr. Joaquin Rodriguez, St Martin de
porres-
Leisure City
27. Fr. Juan Luis S6nchez, St. Peter and
paul-Miami
28. Fr. Juan J. Sosa, St. Joseph-Miami Beach
29. Fr. Gabriel Vigues, St. Francis de Salle-Miami Beach
30. Fr. Mario Yizcaino, Sch. P., SEpI-Miami
Executive Board of Advisors:
3l. Fr. Josd Luis Men6ndez, Coordinador, Corpus Christi-Miami
32. Rev. Guillermo Revuelta, Vice-Coordinador,
presbiteriano
33. Rev. Rafael Gncia, Secretario, Episcopal
34. Rev. Marcos A. Ramos, Bautista, Vocal-Miami
35. Fr. Fernando E. Heria, St. Brendan, Vocal y
porta
Voz-Miami
AC?C uL ACAuLMlCCS A LCS LluL8LS LSl8l1uALLS uLL LxlLlC Cu8AnC Ln LCS LS1AuCS unluCS

Los academlcos cubanos aba[o flrmanLes hacemos nuesLro el llamamlenLo de los Llderes LsplrlLuales del
Lxlllo Cubano al resldenLe de LsLados unldos 8arack Cbama que anexamos a esLe documenLo. Al lgual
que ellos le pedlmos al resldenLe que e[erza sus faculLades e[ecuLlvas para lmponer una moraLorla
Lemporal de los dramLlcos procesos de deporLacln de lndocumenLados que esLn Lenlendo lugar en
nuesLro pals.

Como cubanos, que cuando nos vlmos obllgados a sallr de nuesLra paLrla fulmos acogldos con gran
generosldad por esLa gran nacln, nos senLlmos obllgados a Lomar la lnlclaLlva anLe el drama que vlven
hoy esLos hermanos laLlnoamerlcanos y carlbenos. Lllos Lamblen huyen de las dlversas formas de
vlolencla pollLlca, soclal y econmlca presenLes en sus palses. ero desesperados por la urgencla que
slnLleron de proLeger en lo lnmedlaLo a sus famlllas y asegurar un fuLuro me[or a sus hl[os, han vlolado el
proceso normal mlgraLorlo. nuesLro llamado y su urgencla se reflere a aquellos que ya esLando aqul han
desarrollado vldas producLlvas y respeLuosas de las leyes.

1ampoco sus hl[os se slenLen naclonales de esos oLros palses que apenas conocen o recuerdan slno de
esLe en el que nacleron o al que vlnleron como menores de edad y que no pocos de ellos han defendldo
como parLe de nuesLras fuerzas armadas en le[anos campos de baLalla. Lllos no merecen ser separados
de sus famlllares ms querldos y, mucho menos, ser perclbldos como dellncuenLes a los que se les nlega
Loda oporLunldad para su desarrollo.

or nuesLra hlsLorla como cubanos nos senLlmos hoy con el deber y derecho a ser parLe acLlva de esLa
conversacln naclonal en Lorno a la necesldad de una moraLorla respecLo a las deporLaclones y a
aprobar una ya demasladas veces pospuesLa reforma mlgraLorla. ? mucho nos complace enLrar en esLe
lmpresclndlble dllogo de la mano de los llderes esplrlLuales del exlllo cubano.

Carmelo Mesa-Lago, unlverslLy of lLLsburgh

!orge uuany, llorlda lnLernaLlonal unlverslLy

Marlfell erez-SLable, llorlda lnLernaLlonal unlverslLy

!ullo Pernandez-Mlyares, 1he ClLy unlverslLy of new ?ork

!uan AnLonlo 8lanco-Cll, Mlaml uade College

!avler llgueroa de Cardenas, unlversldad de uerLo 8lco

?olanda rleLo, 8amapo College

uva de Aragon, llorlda lnLernaLlonal unlverslLy

!ose A. Solls-Sllva, SL. !ohn vlanney College Semlnary.

Marla CrlsLlna 8eguelro, resldenL, llorlda naLlonal unlverslLy