Jordi Cuixart: Let the impotence of the sentence become hope

On Thursday, Jordi Cuixart, the President of Omnium Cultural, wrote a letter to all members of the Catalan association which was published on their website under the headline “Carta des de la presó: ‘Que la impotència de la sentència es converteixi en esperança’“. This is a translation of the full letter into English.

Dear all,

Once again I am writing to you from Catalonia. Just a few hours have been enough to feel the solidarity of all of you. Infinite thanks.

The movement of the political prisoners closer to home is nothing more than a reflex of the democratic regression of the state. They want us to be discouraged and surrendered, and so the sentences will be hard and will hurt us. But believe me, there is only one way and it is to do it together.

Remember that no social conquest has ever been gifted. If we do not punish ourselves, if we do not give up sharing everything, if we know how to be united and act in a generous and empathetic manner, we will leave. But we must do it with coherence and determination, with culture as the principle element of social cohesion and limitless democracy.

Members of Omnium Cultural, our only enemy is fear. Fear of living. Never again will anyone tell us what we can and cannot think. We will take to the streets and explain to everyone that we will do it again.

We will do it again is a call to all democrats in Catalonia and around the world. To all those people who, separatists or not, are conscious that the serious problem in our society today is obedience to a state which has abandoned defending the rights and interests of the citizens as a whole.

Let us not allow ourselves to confront each other. What they want is for us to be divided, sowing the seed of discord. Rebel serenely and peacefully. Let the impotence of their sentences become hope for the times to come.

Do not worry about those of us in prison, we know we are strong if you are united. Prepare yourselves, so that the reaction to the sentences is not one of resignation, but one more step on this path towards freedom.

And above all do not let anything or anyone take your smile, because this is the best standard of our victory.

Jordi Cuixart
President of Omnium Cultural
Lledoners Prison, 27 June 2019