Herberto Padilla

Herberto Padilla (born in 1932, died September 25, 2000) was a Cuban poet famous for being arrested in Havana on March 20, 1971 and released only after signing a confession stating he was a "vicious character" who took part in counterrevolutionary activities. A letter to Fidel Castro published May 20 in Paris from 60 leftist intellectuals, all supporters of the Cuban Revolution, protested Padilla's treatment and accused Castro of imposing Stalinism on Cuba. Among the 60: Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Sontag, Alberto Moravia, Carlos Fuentes, and Mario Vargas Llosa (who said he continued to support the Cuban Revolution). Julio Cortázar of Argentina said he stood by Castro in a verse manifesto, "Policrítica en la hora de los chacales". He was the father of four children: Giselle Padilla, Maria Padilla, Ernesto Padilla and Carlos Padilla. Three from his first marriage with Antonia Berta Hernandez and one from his second marriage with Belkis Cuza Male. Also from his daughter he had two grandchildren George M. Tavares III and Camila Lopez.

List of signers

* Simone de Beauvoir
* Italo Calvino
* Jose Maria Castellet
* Julio Cortazar
* Jean Daniel
* Marguerite Duras
* Hans Magnus Enzensberger
* Carlos Franqui
* Carlos Fuentes
* Gabriel Garcia Márquez
* Juan Goytisolo
* Luis Goytisolo
* Alain Jouffroy
* André Pieyre de Mandiargues
* Dionys Mascolo
* Alberto Moravia
* Maurice Nadeau
* Octavio Paz
* Francisco Rosi
* Rossana Rossanda
* Claude Roy
* Jean-Paul Sartre
* Jorge Semprun
* Mario Vargas Llosa

External links

* [http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/cubans2001/story-fourwriters.html Cubans 2001 : Four Writers]