Spanish news agency EFE reports (in Spanish) that European Christian Democrat Union vice president, Arnold Vaatz has sent a message to the participants in the EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Summit in Madrid, Spain; urging them to show solidarity with Cuban dissidents who are in danger of dying.

The former East German dissident and human rights activist, called on European politicians to speak “with one voice” on Cuba. He added that Cuban opposition activists deserve encouragement and solidarity, not discouragement with appeasement policies [towards the Cuban dictatorship].

He remarked that there are reasons for serious concern about the life of several sick opposition activists and political prisoners, especially Guillermo Fariñas, Ariel Sigler Amaya and Normando Hernández González.

The Christian Democrat Union is part of the political coalition currently in power in Germany, and it is the political party of Chancellor Angela Merkel who is attending the summit.