A letter from Yuslier Saavedra to President Obama

I don't know who Yuslier L. Saavedra is, but her open letter to President Obama touched a raw nerve with me:

Mr. President, I am a young Cuban woman who lives in Cuba and I do not want to leave. Exile hurts and I lack the courage to miss my homeland. I want to stay in Cuba and the reality of my people leaves me with many questions. I think it is up to Cubans alone – all of us without exception – to resolve our problems; peaceful change toward democracy is ours and is in us. I dream of a sovereign people, with self-determination because we have a voice, rights and freedom. I dream of an independent, democratic and sovereign Cuba, where there is a genuine rule of law and democracy, the indispensable foundations for Cubans to be able to achieve prosperity and well-being.

You have said you want to help Cubans to improve our quality of life, which leads me to ask you some questions:

• What has improved in Cubans’ quality of life since 17 December 2014?
• You have called Raul Castro ‘president’; does this mean you consider him your counterpart?
• Can a dictatorship turn itself into a democracy?
• Do you believe that the dignity of the human person, as well as his or her well-being and quality of life starts with rights?

Thank you for your time.

Yuslier L. Saavedra
La Salud, Mayabeque Province
Cuba