12-14-07, 9:27 am

More than 500 artists, writers and scholars from the United States have signed on to a letter to President Bush requesting he put an end to the nearly half-century blockade against Cuba and stop impeding cultural exchange between the two nations.

'We write to express our dismay at your administration’s continuing hostility towards Cuba. We write to express our opposition to policies that keep us divided from our Cuban counterparts,' states the text.

'In our opinion, the time has come to take steps toward cultural exchanges, cooperation and constructive relations with Cuba,' states the letter published on the Website of The Cuba Research and Analysis Group (CRAG) at:

The organization began the campaign after receiving a letter on October 26 from prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso requesting that voices be raised against the blockade. 'Let us work together so that Cuban artists and writers can take their talent to the United States, and that you are not prevented to come to our Island to share your knowledge and values; so that a song, a book, a scientific study or choreographic works are not considered, in an irrational way, as a crime.'

Among those signing on the letter to Bush are actors Sean Penn, Peter Coyote, Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover. Among the authors are Alice Walker, William Kennedy, Gore Vidal and Cristina Garcia.

Numerous musicians have also joined including Carlos Santana, Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, Tre Cool, Mickey Hart and Tom Morello, Holly Near, Bonnie Raitt, and Andy Montañez.

Latin American intellectuals heeding the call from Alicia Alonso include Cuban-Americans Nelson Perez Valdes, Enrique Sacerio Gari and Lisandro Perez.

From Diario Granma